


XIV Write 2020

by Burgie



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: 5.3 spoilers, F/F, Miqo'te WoL, blm WoL, female WoL, more tags to be added as month progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 28,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26250355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: A collection of fics written for XIV Write 2020. Rating may change because who knows what the month will bring?
Relationships: Lyse Hext/Warrior of Light, Minfilia Warde/Warrior of Light
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. Crux

The buildings of Amaurot, or at least the recreation of it, never felt quite so big and lonely as they did when one was alone in them. Even with friends, there was still that loneliness, that sound of echoing voices. The silence now without those voices, though, was… deafening.

Veronyka shivered, looking around the empty space, at the counters behind which stood Momodi, Miounne, and Baderon. She recognised all of them, of course, from her adventures, though it had been Momodi who had helped her most of all, despite her Lominsan roots. Or what had been Lominsan roots, rather. Before she’d learned the truth.

“Come forward, adventurer.” Elidibus’ voice startled her, the fur on Veronyka’s tail fluffing up as she pinned her ears back, looking around for the man who wore the face of a friend. He had not always been a friend, though. No, once upon a time, Veronyka had hated Ardbert with every fibre of her being for being the reason that Minfilia had been taken from her for good. Until she had learned the truth, anyway. Until the Echo had revealed that Minfilia had left Ardbert behind to help her in the fight against Hades. To prevent her from becoming a Lightwarden.

“Where are you?” Veronyka called, drawing her staff, Justice, so named after the goddess Sophia whose very essence now infused the weapon.

“Come outside,” Elidibus called, almost taunting. “I would show you the journey that you have taken. Show you the pain that I have suffered.” Steeling herself, Veronyka marched outside, trying to prepare for what the Ascian may throw at her.

She wasn’t prepared for the sight of the Scions, as they had once been. The group who she had first met, back when she had been so young, so innocent. Almost without thinking, Veronyka looked for Minfilia, a brief flicker of relief passing through her upon not seeing her. At least he would not have her reliving that pain.

But any relief was shattered as a fist connected with her jaw, sending her stumbling backwards, angry voices washing over her. Veronyka bristled, hatred in her eyes for the Ascian wearing the face of a friend twisted in an unnatural smirk.

“I hate to disappoint you, but my dark knight training prepared me for this,” said Veronyka as the not-Yda, the last to fall by her hand, fell at her feet. It still stung a little, but… she’d seen the strange slime-like creatures that had turned into those copies of her friends.

“Is that so?” Elidibus drawled. “Then I hope that you shan’t disappoint.”

Again and again Elidibus turned slime creatures into faces of friends and foes past. Every time, Veronyka expected to see Minfilia’s face staring back at her, twisted in rage, or worse, Lyse’s. It was a mercy, then, to put down past foes.

A familiar voice did eventually reach Veronyka’s ears, one ear tipped back, though she dare not turn to face the apparition. Elidibus had hurt Minfilia before, yes, the first time that Veronyka had feared for her first love’s life. Would that he had been the true threat all along. But surely, he would not force Veronyka to fight her.

And then, Veronyka turned a corner, following Elidibus, and stopped dead in her tracks, her breath caught in her throat. There she was, Lyse, her Lyse, speaking with Yugiri, Gosetsu, and Alphinaud. All looking as they had before that trip to Doma that had allowed their relationship to flourish. Veronyka knew that she could not fight Lyse, if it truly came to it. Even if it was only an illusion. Yda had been bad enough, but she couldn’t look into eyes that had mended a broken heart and fight her as an enemy.

As Veronyka tried to tear her gaze from Lyse, she spotted a flicker of movement. Her friends, finally appearing. But then Lyse and Alphinaud turned and headed in one direction while her friends followed Yugiri and Gosetsu.

Veronyka didn’t even think before she followed Lyse, drawn to her as if by a force outside of her. As she was always drawn to Lyse, as she always would be.

“And herein lies the crux of the issue,” said Elidibus as Veronyka followed Lyse through an apparition of Ala Mhigo. How Elidibus knew the exact streets, Veronyka had no idea. She barely even noticed when Alphinaud disappeared, whisked away by Elidibus’ machinations, forgotten entirely as Veronyka walked alongside Lyse through streets that she knew well.

“So attached are you to your love, a slave to your heart, that you would gladly follow it into the flames.”

And just like that, Ala Mhigo was burning. The beloved streets, the bright colours, all going up in flames. And people running, screaming, the sounds piercing her brain such that Veronyka closed her eyes, hands over ears flattened to her skull. Where was Lyse, was she okay, was this-

Veronyka opened her eyes to a rather different image of Amaurot. She looked at her hands, seeing not the familiar tattoos but strange gauntlets, gloves that would better enable her to string a bow. She could feel it on her back, not the familiar weight and power of a black mage staff but the unfamiliar, lighter weight of a bow and arrows.

All of that came secondary, though, to the hot smoke filling her lungs, making her choke, her voice sounding different. She doubled over, surprised beyond belief not to feel her ears pressed against her skull. She was taller, she noticed as she straightened up. 

Veronyka looked up through eyes that were not her own and saw a sky that Hydaelyn had first shown her so long ago. A sky that Elidibus had used to temper many to Hydaelyn. Or to weave his intricate web of lies.

But this felt different. This was different, Veronyka knew in her bones, if not from the stench of burning and death all around her.

A winged creature wheeled in the sky above, and Veronyka wanted to duck as it soared towards her. But she was surprised when the creature, which looked not unlike the Rathalos creature she had fought once in the Azim Steppe, landed in front of her, giving a cry as it lowered its body for her to take her place in a strange leather saddle.

“Running off again?” a voice taunted, and Veronyka whirled in her saddle to scowl at the elezen-looking man who stood beside her.

“If they are going to blame me for this, I cannot stand idly by and watch as my city burns,” said Veronyka. And she remembered, as the Echo tore at her mind, the many other Amaurotines who had taunted her, blaming her for this, saying that it was her monsters that had brought this calamity forth. Or, if they didn’t blame the monsters outright, they blamed the fear instilled by them, the drive to hunt which had inspired these new monsters, inspired the fear to take root. Just as Emet-Selch had said long ago as illusions of fire had rained down around the group witnessing the Final Days of Amaurot. But this was different to those battles. This felt real.

“So you would run away,” said the other Amaurotine. “Rather than protect those that you can.”

“My creations cannot be blamed for this if they no longer exist,” said Veronyka, tears swelling her throat as her mount took to the sky on great black wings that glimmered with purple smoke.

“Go well, Artemis,” said the Amaurotine, his face at last softening. But only a little. Veronyka recognised something in that man. Could he be the original form of her adoptive father?

Veronyka’s mind whirled as her mount flew her outside of the burning city, touching down in a land scorched by fire. She dismounted, bow drawn, looking around for her creation.

It was not a dragon, not quite. Not the dragons of the Source, anyway, for those had not come from this world. Yet it attacked just like one, belching fire that Veronyka- no, Artemis- evaded skillfully, the fight an elegant dance even as tears blurred her vision and the creation began to stumble under the weight of arrows feathering its form.

“Farewell,” Artemis wept as the creature gave one last cry and exploded into fragments of stardust. It would never return.

Yet Artemis’ work was not yet done, even as tears streamed down her face as she headed to the next area. And the next. And the next.

Until, at last, Artemis stood before her final creation. Her mount.

“We have had a good life, have we not?” said Artemis, cupping the creature’s cheek. It gave a little cry, its eyes appearing mournful as it gazed at her. It did not fight, and Veronyka felt her own heart shatter alongside Artemis’.

It was a long walk back, during which Artemis mourned the lack of her creations, weighed down by the insults and accusations slung her way. They could no longer accuse her creations of causing this calamity, not directly. They had been as affected as she, truly.

Yet Amaurot still burned. She still had a task to complete. Swallowing her tears, Artemis reached her hand out, her bow being exchanged for a battleaxe.

And she ran into the firestorm, determined to do what she could to see this disaster ended. Even if she must lay down her own life in the process.

When Veronyka came to, a miqo’te once more, she found Elidibus crouched in front of her fallen form, a look of almost pity writ across his features. Veronyka panted, her body still ablaze from the memory, her head pounding from the Echo flashback. It reminded her, almost, of when the Echo had sent her to occupy the body of Renda-Rae, the bard of Ardbert’s group of Warriors of Darkness.

“Artemis,” said Elidibus, blinking his surprise. “And here I had thought…”

“This is why I fight,” said Veronyka, at last finding the strength to pull herself to her feet. “For justice. For my friends. For my homeland.”

“Then perhaps you can understand why I cannot allow you to succeed,” said Elidibus. “Why the rejoining must happen.”

“The rejoining won’t bring back your loved ones,” said Veronyka. “They’re gone, Elidibus, and there’s nothing that can bring them back.” Tears stood in her eyes, tears for a fallen city, tears for a lost love, tears for all that had been and all that may yet come to pass.

“I have to try,” said Elidibus, his gaze steely. “More trials await you, young warrior. Why not face off against another hunter?”

Zenos. When would he leave her alone? This time, though, Veronyka was prepared, knowing his every move, striking him down as she had been unable to do before. It was therapeutic, as he fell. Yet tempered by the knowledge that he would yet rise.

Perhaps he was a sundered creation of Artemis, in a strange way. For Veronyka recognised the beasts that Artemis had fought, knew them as the monsters that she, herself, joined groups of adventurers in hunting for and slaying. At least now, she knew where her drive to hunt had come from. Knew that she was not as alike as Zenos as she had once feared.

And then, finally, there was Ardbert. The one who symbolised Minfilia’s love for Veronyka, even beyond the grave. Yet she knew, from Ardbert’s consciousness resting alongside Fray’s and the dormant Midgardsormr, that Ardbert wanted this farce ended. He wanted rest more than anyone. And so it was not difficult, in the end, to put him down.

“A pity… that the illusion pulled you into an Echo vision,” said Elidibus as he lay on the cracked tiles, the illusion of blood pooling around him. “I would have had you choose between your friends and your heart.”

“You underestimate me,” said Veronyka. “And the power of love. Or maybe you just don’t want to admit that we’re more alike than you want us to be.” Elidibus scowled at her, yet even as Veronyka watched, the blood disappeared. And with it came her friends, once more filling the room, all speaking with each other over what had just happened.

Veronyka joined them, pleased to be surrounded by faces and voices that she knew and loved dearly. She could have both love and her family, she knew. Life, like the art of a red mage, was a constant balancing act. And if she stumbled, if she leaned more towards one than the other… her friends would be there to guide her back. It would all be okay. Elidibus was wrong.

Yet a part of Veronyka would always be aware of the lesson that Elidibus had tried to teach her. There would be more adventures after this, and she would need to learn how to split her time between her homeland, the love of her life, and her friends. No doubt it would be difficult, but… she couldn’t prove Elidibus right. She wouldn’t let that happen.


	2. Sway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minfilia sets aside some time for her girlfriend.

With the move to the Rising Stones in Mor Dhona prompted by the increased interest in the Scions after felling first Ifrit and then Titan, one would expect that there would be little time for anything but work. And, indeed, there were some days where Minfilia was so busy with work that she had very little time for herself, let alone her girlfriend. Most days, Veronyka settled for simply being in the same room as Minfilia, her head on her girlfriend’s lap, a hand stroking gently over furred ears as she caught up on sleep from so much time spent adventuring and fighting new foe after new foe.

But today, Minfilia vowed, would be different. She’d worked through the night to get on top of her paperwork, half of it Tataru’s work so that she could lessen the burden on the poor overworked secretary, and now, after sleeping until noon, Minfilia entered the Solar with a weight having been removed from her shoulders. Even if it had been passing strange to awaken in the bed that she’d shared with Veronyka to find her girlfriend missing. Veronyka usually exerted so much energy using her black mage powers that she often slept until noon, herself. Today, though, she’d been gone, off to do something or other with her friends of the free company Solar. Minfilia hoped dearly that it would be a day off for her as well, that Solar would be simply spending the day at Costa del Sol to relax and not to fight crabs or whatever it was that they normally did there.

Alone in her Solar now, Minfilia set about moving the furniture aside, clearing a space on the stone floor that they might use for this event. One would not expect the Antecedent to do such things, but Minfilia still often enjoyed turning her hand to mining. Not that she had much time for it these days, but it was enough to keep her strong, enough to give her the muscles that Veronyka had so admired even from the start.

“Well, well, Minfilia,” came a voice from the doorway, and Minfilia turned, cheeks pink, to find her mother standing before the closed doors, a knowing smile on her face and her pink eyes twinkling. “Are we redecorating?”

“Not today, not… quite,” said Minfilia, brushing a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “Hello, F’lhaminn.” Her mother’s knowing smile remained on her face as she tipped her head toward the cleared space.

“I know a dance floor when I see one,” said F’lhaminn. “Having graced many of the same in my younger days. And my older days, too, though only for one.” She winked, and Minfilia’s blush worsened.

“Mother,” Minfilia complained, trying to find something, anything else to look at. “It is not that kind of dancing that I have in mind for today. It is the more… romantic kind of dancing.”

“Ah, but my kind of dancing can be romantic too,” said F’lhaminn, laughing as Minfilia began to seek out an escape route. Until Veronyka, Minfilia had been married to her work such that F’lhaminn had resigned herself to only ever teasing her son over his romantic conquests (once he’d moved on from pursuing herself, anyway). But then Veronyka had come along, and F’lhaminn had at last stepped into the role of embarrassing mother with ease.

“She won’t get the wrong idea, will she?” Minfilia asked, stopping F’lhaminn in her tracks. “Not that I would be opposed to anything further down that line, of course, only… I know that she often worries about being seen as only one thing by the vast majority of people.” She recalled, quite vividly, Veronyka’s discomfort in Ul’dah, how she had often covered up every inch of skin, never lingering in one place lest she be confused for one of the miqo’te women who danced for money. Meeting F’lhaminn had changed that, of course, as she had learned that some miqo’te danced for enjoyment as much as for money, but the difference since moving to Revenant’s Toll was glaringly obvious.

“Oh, Minfilia, I jest, of course,” said F’lhaminn, eyes wide as she approached her daughter, taking Minfilia’s hands in her own. Her ears folded back in concern for her daughter. “I am certain that you will be able to set this up in such a way as to make the romance obvious.”

“Would you… be willing to help?” Minfilia asked, looking into her mother’s eyes. F’lhaminn’s eyes twinkled as she smiled at her daughter.

“I had hoped that you would ask,” said F’lhaminn. Minfilia smiled, relief swamping her as her mother began to move around the room, making suggestions for decorations that would lend an air of romance to the Solar. It was, perhaps, not the first room that one would think of when considering romance, but the two spent so much time here already that it had become quite special to them. Besides, it was easier by far than clearing out the other rooms, which held all sorts of furniture and a bar that served many of the Scions.

Some time later, it was a very surprised Veronyka who received a linkpearl call as she stood at the very top of a wooden tower in Costa del Sol (she could not get down but would not admit as much to her friends).

“Hello?” Veronyka answered, clinging to a wooden beam, willing her tail and ears to return to their normal state and stop resembling phurbles in their fluffiness.

“Veronyka? I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” said Minfilia. Veronyka sagged against the beam, relaxing as Minfilia’s voice washed over her.

“No, you’re not interrupting,” said Veronyka. “Zelda just decided to have a beach day, and I managed to climb to the top of the Moonfire jumping puzzle.”

“Truly?” Minfilia asked, pride ringing true in her tone such that Veronyka blushed. It almost managed to fight back the fear of being up so high. Almost.

“Yep! I did it all by myself, too,” said Veronyka, a happy purr in her voice.

“Oh, you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that,” said Minfilia. “However, I called you for a reason.”

“Another mission?” Veronyka asked. But no, Minfilia would call Zelda if it was a mission. She knew that.

“Not quite,” said Minfilia. “Think of it as a… date, of sorts. In my office in the Solar.”

“A date in your office?” Veronyka repeated, cheeks flushing at the implications. “What… kind of date?” She wasn’t sure if she’d have the energy to do much, now that the adrenaline was fading away.

“Something wonderful, I assure you,” said Minfilia. “Pray return to the Rising Stones, and you shall find out.” Veronyka had to laugh at the familiar words, spoken so often that it had become a joke among them. As the call ended, Veronyka carefully leaned over the edge, trying not to look down.

“Guys, something’s come up,” said Veronyka.

“Oh?” Jack asked, the Hrothgar looking up from where he was halfway up the jumping puzzle. “Something bad or…?”

“Oh, nothing bad at all,” said Veronyka. “Minfilia called me for a date, so I have to go.”

“That’s okay, enjoy your date,” said Zelda, the hyur woman smiling up at the miqo’te.

“Booty call,” Theo mouthed, and yelped as Ronja shoved him, the Roegadyn woman laughing as the elezen plummeted a few fulms before zipping back up to a beam above him with the help of a ninja skill.

“I will,” said Veronyka, smiling at the antics of her friends before she teleported away from the top of the tower, arriving in the aetheryte plaza of Revenant’s Toll. Even the gloom felt homely to her now as she stepped into the Seventh Heaven and through the door that led to the Rising Stones.

Veronyka heard music even before she stepped into the Solar, ears twitching as the music swelled to a crescendo before she opened the door. She found Minfilia standing in the middle of the room, smiling at her, wearing a dress that was distinctly unlike her usual attire. It was pink, as Veronyka had come to expect from Minfilia, the skirt reaching to just below her knees. Minfilia held out her hand, ungloved and beautifully elegant.

“May I have this dance?” Minfilia asked as Veronyka approached her, her nerves alight as she realised that she had no formal clothing. Or training, come to think of it.

“Yes, but… I don’t know how to dance like this,” Veronyka worried. She had spoken to a strange man, once, in Ul’dah, who had taught her what he called a stately ball dance. Yet it didn’t look like any dance that Veronyka had ever seen in a more formal setting, and she felt certain that she’d make a fool of herself if she tried now.

“Not to worry,” said Minfilia. “F’lhaminn taught me many dances as I grew older, including a more romantic, formal dance.”

“I hope I don’t step on your toes,” said Veronyka, blushing. “I don’t even know where to put my hands, and I’m just wearing my usual outfit.” She gestured to her red coat and fancy black trousers that she’d worn ever since Minfilia had gifted the coat to her. The trousers, she was pretty sure, had come from elsewhere.

“The dance may be formal, but I assure you that this is not a formal setting,” said Minfilia. “There is nobody to see, nobody to judge. I will guide you through every step, I promise.”

“Well… okay,” said Veronyka, her brown eyes meeting Minfilia’s blue ones. “If you’re sure.” Minfilia nodded, placing one hand on Veronyka’s hip and the other in Veronyka’s own hand, lacing their fingers together.

“Place your hand on my shoulder,” said Minfilia. “I will count the beats, you need only follow my lead.” Veronyka did as she was asked, Minfilia’s bared shoulder warm beneath her fingers. She had gone without the gloves today, finding that it allowed her to better grip onto the wooden beams of the jumping puzzle.

“What do I do with my feet?” Veronyka asked, feeling her body sway with Minfilia’s.

“You step back as I step forward,” said Minfilia. “I know that black mages do not usually move, don’t worry. Hence why I decided on a simpler dance for our first one.”

“Thank you,” said Veronyka, smiling at her girlfriend. She tried to watch her feet at first, watching as Minfilia stepped forward and back, but eventually, she found that feeling the swaying movement helped her to keep track as well as the strangely soothing sound of Minfilia counting under her breath.

Now, Veronyka could look into Minfilia’s eyes as they swayed together, the music wrapping around them even as the love that Veronyka felt from her girlfriend wrapped around her heart and squeezed. She could see in her eyes that Minfilia adored her, the hand on her hip so gentle, Minfilia’s fingers laced with hers anchoring her to the moment.

And then, after one last crescendo, the song came to an end, fading out into nothing. Veronyka moved her hand from Minfilia’s own to join the fingers on the back of Minfilia’s neck, leaning up to press a kiss to her lips as Minfilia dropped her own hands to Veronyka’s waist.

With her eyes closed, it felt as though the motion of the dance was still there, swaying their bodies back and forth. Veronyka rested her head on Minfilia’s chest, her arms dropping down lower to embrace her girlfriend more comfortably.

“Was it only the tower that tired you so today?” Minfilia asked, her fingers running gently through Veronyka’s hair.

“I had to protect the beachgoers from the crabs,” Veronyka murmured. Minfilia smiled, dropping a kiss to the top of Veronyka’s head.

“A vacation is never a vacation when one is a Warrior of Light,” said Minfilia. Veronyka nodded.

“I would like to have a day off just to spend with you, one day,” said Veronyka.

“There are many here who long to jump into adventures,” said Minfilia. “I am certain that we can work something out.”

“I’d love that,” said Veronyka, Minfilia returning her smile as she met her girlfriend’s loving gaze. It would be done, then. Minfilia would make sure of it.


	3. Muster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the passing of Conrad, Lyse struggles with her new role.

The mantle of leader of the Resistance sat heavy on Lyse Hext’s shoulders. Oh, she tried to put on a brave face when it came to Resistance members and other important people, but when it was just her and her girlfriend…

Well, that was when the mask went away, so to speak. Lyse had promised Veronyka, after they’d first started dating, that she wouldn’t lie to her anymore, and that included concealing her feelings. Even if she did feel more than a little guilty at crumbling under the first sign of responsibility.

But Veronyka didn’t judge her. She couldn’t, not when she loved her so much, not when she herself had run away from everything after losing it all. Not that Lyse judged her for that, of course, it was simply… at least Veronyka had had that option. To run. To hide. To allow herself to feel.

It was different, when you had responsibilities to fulfil in the wake of someone’s passing.

“How do you do it?” Lyse asked into the soft, warm evening air in the comfy tent that Lyse had been upgraded to in her ‘promotion’. “How do you muster the strength to continue on, to keep fighting, no matter how much you lose?”

“Funny you should ask,” said Veronyka, a soft smile on her lips. “Especially that you’d ask me. I told you how… bad I was, after it happened.”

“I remember,” said Lyse. “It’s kind of hard to imagine now, though.”

“Thanks to you,” said Veronyka, her face warm in the firelight. She laced her fingers with Lyse’s, never letting go. “Some days, you were the only reason I got out of bed. That and Loonh Gah wouldn’t let me hear the end of it.” How could Lyse forget the feisty miqo’te who had sparked a fire back in Veronyka, given her something to compete against, stoked the fires of her passion?

“But you keep fighting, no matter how much you lose,” said Lyse. “It seems like the more I fight, the more I lose.” Veronyka shook her head, gripping Lyse’s hand tighter.

“It only feels like that because you care,” said Veronyka, ears folded back as her eyes turned glossy with emotion. “You care so much, deep down, and it hurts you all the more when something bad does happen.”

“I just… I wish people would stop sacrificing themselves for me,” said Lyse, the tears spilling over. “First Yda died and then I kind of became her, then Papalymo died to force me to reveal myself, and now Conrad… and Y’shtola almost died protecting me.”

“Is that really the way you see it?” Veronyka asked, her arms going around Lyse so easily, the taller woman folding into her arms as if she’d always been there.

“It’s mostly been just… whispers,” said Lyse, sniffing. “But yes. They died because of all of my lies.”

“No they didn’t,” said Veronyka, brushing away Lyse’s tears. “True, you wouldn’t have become a Scion if Yda hadn’t died, but… Papalymo sacrificed himself to save the realm. And yes, Y’shtola did throw herself in front of a blade for you, but she’s a healer, her first instinct is to protect people. Conrad… that was an accident. It could’ve been anyone.”

“It should’ve been me,” said Lyse bitterly.

“No,” said Veronyka, holding Lyse’s face in her hands, her expression suddenly fierce, desperate. “Don’t ever say that, Lyse. Please. I couldn’t lose you.”

“I’m sorry,” said Lyse, tearing her gaze away from Veronyka’s desperate, pleading one. “I guess I’m just… struggling with being in the spotlight all of a sudden. I know my father wanted this for me, but this was supposed to be Yda’s job. She’d be much better at it than me.”

“Everyone says that you have a way with words,” said Veronyka. “Words can be powerful.”

“So did Ilberd,” said Lyse.

“I’ll be with you,” said Veronyka. “Every step of the way, I swear. I might not know much about leading, either, but… we can learn together.”

“Gods, Conrad tried to teach me but I was always so busy with… personal things,” said Lyse. “Not that I regret it, of course I don’t, I could never.”

“But?” Veronyka prompted. Yet she didn’t pull away, didn’t even move. Only waited for Lyse’s response.

“I never was very good at paying attention,” said Lyse. “Even when Papalymo tried to teach me, it was all just…”

“Staring at pretty miqo’te?” Veronyka asked.

“Yes,” said Lyse, and blushed. “I mean… gah, I was almost as bad as Thancred.”

“At least you weren’t reciting stupid poetry,” said Veronyka. Lyse gave her a small smile, but it was enough.

“I’m sorry I’m such a mess,” said Lyse, pulling Veronyka closer to her, needing her warmth, her comfort.

“At least you’re still out there trying to do something,” said Veronyka. “And not… slaughtering every monster in the area. Or crying in your bed.”

“The first loss always hurts the worst,” said Lyse. “Especially when you were that close to her.”

“I used to wonder sometimes if maybe I was too close,” said Veronyka. “If that’s why it hurt so much. But then I met Linu Vali, who is surprisingly therapeutic for a giant bird woman. She noticed whenever I was feeling down and offered to talk with me about it. I used to ignore her, but she’s surprisingly persistent.”

“Are you suggesting that we take a midnight trip to the Sea of Clouds so I can talk to a bird therapist?” Lyse asked. Veronyka considered this for a moment before shaking her head.

“It’s too late at night for spine-crushing bird hugs,” said Veronyka. “But I think I know what she’d say.”

“And what’s that?” Lyse asked.

“That you have an entire group of people around you willing to help out,” said Veronyka. “You didn’t just waltz in and take the crown, you had it thrust upon you by circumstances way out of your control. Conrad chose you, and they all know that. They wouldn’t disobey the wishes of the dead, this isn’t Ul’dah.”

“And praise Rhalgr for that,” said Lyse, her eyes automatically going towards the statue outside.

“All you have to do is ask for their advice,” said Veronyka. “Or, if you’re really struggling, I happen to know a very good leader of a certain free company who can give you some advice. Don’t ask Alphie, though, it’s still too soon.”

“Noted,” said Lyse. “And if it ever gets too hard and I just want to hide in bed?”

“I happen to have perfected the art of playing the needy girlfriend who demands snuggles,” said Veronyka. Lyse smiled at her, though there was still fear in her eyes as she pulled Veronyka closer to her, pressing their foreheads together.

“Just… promise me that you won’t throw yourself into the fire for me,” said Lyse.

“I’ll use manaward, I’ll be fine,” said Veronyka.

“Nyka,” said Lyse, her gaze still serious.

“Promise,” said Veronyka, and moved her head to press a quick kiss to Lyse’s lips.


	4. Clinch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronyka picks up a new class and has some words for Thancred.

Ever since Minfilia and Thancred had joined the group, the tension had been palpable. Oh, it hadn’t all been on Thancred’s end at first, Veronyka wasn’t too proud to admit her own failings. But something about seeing how Thancred treated the girl, how he avoided her or acted as though she were a nuisance, it… awakened something inside Veronyka. Something that she, quite honestly, hadn’t felt since she’d helped the Doman children with their ‘training’, since she’d visited the Doman enclave with her friend Eden and watched the children play there, been led to the new things that they’d been creating.

Oh yes, at first, Veronyka had felt as uncomfortable around Minfilia as Thancred quite obviously was, trying to avoid her, running away from the raw grief that seeing her still brought up. Seeing the face that she’d once loved so dearly, but tinier now, the face of a young girl. The colours were the same, the blonde hair and the blue eyes, but everything else… no, this Minfilia was a painful reminder that the Minfilia she’d once knew was gone now, replaced by this girl who was yet trying to find her place in the world. Burdened by the fate of knowing that she would fight and die, just like all of the other Minfilias past.

But, ever since the battle with the Lightwarden Titania, ever since the group had moved on from Il Mheg to Rak’tika, something had changed. Minfilia’s efforts to try to fit in, to apologise simply for existing, had broken Veronyka out of her grief once and for all. For she wasn’t the only one suffering, she’d seen that day in the flowery meadows of Il Mheg. No, Minfilia was suffering too, by simple virtue of being the source of pain for so many.

That had clinched it- Veronyka would protect this child, would care for her, would be the guardian that Thancred tried so hard to be. Yet Veronyka knew, from experience, that a black mage could protect, but they weren’t so great at taking hits meant for others. The best she could do when faced with a threat too large for herself and Ryne to face alone was fling a sleep spell at it and run until the monster would not see them upon awakening.

But now, Minfilia wanted to explore the Qitana Ravel, and Veronyka knew that a role with more defensive properties was needed. Yet, when she drew her greatsword out of the aether in which it was stored, Veronyka could think only of the questions that Minfilia would have. For the girl was full of them, peppering Veronyka with questions about black magic and Zelda about red magic and even Astrid about what a dark knight was.

Veronyka could not explain to Minfilia that her dark knight training had been borne of the same pain that had recently clouded her judgement with Minfilia, the very seem pain that still hung heavy from Thancred, palpable in the air. She could lie, she supposed, say that it had been something else that had triggered so much soaking in pain and blood. But she could not lie to the child. Not after everything.

Instead, Veronyka mustered her courage and strode over to where Thancred stood in the village of Slitherbough, quite obviously sulking. He had received full many tongue lashings from those who cared for Minfilia after his outburst, and he seemed to be nursing a stinging cheek from a blow delivered to him by Y’shtola.

“Come to have another go?” Thancred asked, his gaze lifting from the ground to meet Veronyka’s eyes.

“No,” said Veronyka, folding her arms in front of her chest. She had never been one to back down from a fight. “I wish to ask you about the gunblade of yours.”

“Ah,” said Thancred. “Is your greatsword not enough to protect your charge?”

“I’d simply rather not explain to her where my pain comes from,” said Veronyka. “Nor do I wish to dwell on it.” Thancred, to his credit, did not flinch at the barbed comment, only nodded, his own arms folded in front of his chest.

“I suppose I deserved that,” said Thancred. “Would that I had been able to overcome my grief in the arms of a beautiful person.”

“I’m sorry that fate wasn’t as kind to you,” said Veronyka. “My point stands, though, if you’ll be willing to teach me.”

Thancred sighed and reached behind him, drawing his gunblade. It gleamed in the ever-present Light that filtered through the branches that wreathed Slitherbough.

“Wielding a gunblade is much like wielding any sword,” said Thancred. “Though with some changes, of course. You already know about the aether cartridges.”

“I won’t need Minfilia to charge those for me,” said Veronyka, giving a small smile.

“Twill be passing strange, I’m sure, for her to not need to do that,” said Thancred. “She’ll be better able to focus on fighting then, I imagine.”

“Oh, stop sulking,” said Veronyka. “I mean, you should, you’ve been a complete chocobo’s arse to her, but sulk after you’ve taught me how to use this thing.”

“I see that spending time with Lyse has given you back your spark,” said Thancred, smiling at her language.

“I also went back to the rogue’s guild to learn some more fighting styles,” said Veronyka. “She can’t take all the credit, unfortunately.”

“My old stomping grounds,” said Thancred fondly as he at last left his spot by the wall, Veronyka following him up the path out of the village.

“I’ll tell Jacke you said hi,” said Veronyka.

“I’ll tell him myself once I get back home,” said Thancred. For the first time, there was hope in his eyes. “Now, wielding a gunblade, as I’ve said, is like any sword. You have your main slashing and stabbing attacks, but you do need to use the blade more than the magic, unlike a greatsword.”

“Where do the aether cartridges come into it?” Veronyka asked.

“Well, for anyone who isn’t me and has functioning aether, the aether collects in cartridges on the blade. Once one cartridge is full, you can use this energy to use enhanced attacks,” said Thancred. 

“There’s a vampire vine over there that you can demonstrate on,” said Veronyka, pointing.

“Do you ever use training dummies?” Thancred asked, frowning at her. Veronyka shrugged.

“I prefer live targets,” said Veronyka. Thancred sighed, shaking his head.

“Alright, well… I suppose that we can handle one vampire vine between us,” said Thancred. Keeping his blade unsheathed, he ran at the giant treeant, leaping at it and driving a gouge down its bark.

As Veronyka watched, Thancred slashed at the tree, eventually slamming two aether-filled cartridges into the gunblade’s hilt. Aether coursed along the blade, enhancing his attacks, dealing greater damage to the tree. A few times, Veronyka noticed as a shield glimmered into existence, or as healing magic suffused Thancred. She was familiar with these, having used many a shield and self-healing spell during her days as a dark knight.

At last, with a mighty roar, the tree fell and Thancred sheathed his blade, panting.

“I think I get it,” said Veronyka. “Shall I try now?”

“I’d much prefer it if you tried out the attacks on a training dummy,” said Thancred. “Though I suppose that there isn’t much that I can do to stop you.” Veronyka smiled, nodding.

As Thancred handed over his gunblade, Veronyka felt distant memories of her dark knight days rise up within her. Though, mercifully, it was not the pain that she most remembered, but how it felt to wield a blade, to ignore the black mage instinct to be as far away from her opponent as possible.

Using the shields and self-heals came naturally, too, though it was strange to see a blade gleaming with aether rather than the blood of her foes. Thancred watched her, she could sense him tensing behind her.

“Easy,” said Veronyka as the vampire vine fell, not too far away from the last one.

“Well done,” said Thancred, nodding at her. “I suppose that I can trust you to look after Minfilia.”

“I’ll take Alphie with me as well, and Alisiae, so she won’t want for healing,” said Veronyka. “Thank you for trusting me with her.”

“Thank you for being there for her,” said Thancred, his face and voice solemn once more. “Would that I had been able to bounce back as easily.”

“Recovery takes time,” said Veronyka. “I know that better than anyone. But you will get there.”

“Seems like only yesterday that you were refusing to leave your bed,” said Thancred. “What happened?”

“I found my home,” said Veronyka. “My purpose. And I hope that someday, you’ll find yours too.”

As he returned to the village, Thancred watched as Veronyka gathered up the twins and Minfilia, looking strangely grown up now. He’d seen her grow up as much as he’d watched the first Minfilia grow up. There had been trials and hardships, yes, and he knew that there would be plenty more. But he had faith that she could overcome anything.


	5. Matter of Fact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronyka is once more trapped by Tataru- but for a different kind of fitting this time.

When Veronyka had first met Tataru Taru, she had been a little confused as to how this lalafellin woman, who seemed to have her head in the clouds most of the time, had come to be the secretary of a group such as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. This had been further tested when Noraxia had near given the woman a heart attack simply by showing up out of the blue.

This confusion had been further compounded in the events following the loss of the one Veronyka held most dear, when she’d been gently nudged to Limsa to tail Tataru in her arcanist training and ensure that her carbuncle did not get her killed. Seeing the lalafellin cowering from rats and being unable to control her carbuncle, Veronyka had wondered just what it was about this woman that had made the Scions choose to hire her, choose to trust her with all of their secrets.

And then the trip to Doma had happened, where Tataru had easily blackmailed Carvallain into taking them to Doma on his ship, and then, much later, Alphinaud had spent a ludicrous amount of the Scions’ money buying Gosetsu’s sword back, and Veronyka had been as amazed as anyone that Alphinaud had walked away from that tongue-lashing alive. That event alone was enough to convince Veronyka that Tataru was to be feared, and that what she lacked in size and general skill in other areas, she more than made up for in sheer attitude.

She was also, as Veronyka had just now discovered, wickedly good at sniffing out secrets.

Tataru was just a flash of white teeth in the darkness as the door to the storeroom closed behind Veronyka, plunging the room into darkness. Veronyka conjured a small flame in her hand, the astral fire effect giving her enough light to see by. And more than enough light to see Tataru almost nose-to-nose with her. Veronyka yelped and stumbled back, landing on her tail, but Tataru only grinned menacingly.

“So,” said Tataru. “When were you going to tell me that you’re getting married?”

Seven hells, she was in for the fitting of a lifetime.

Several hours later, a petulant Veronyka stood on a pedestal in a well-lit room that Tataru used for conducting all of her fittings. Unfortunately for her, this time, she had an audience. Her tail twitched behind her in agitation as she glared at a Roegadyn woman who was trying to stifle her guffaws.

“How did you even find out about the engagement?” Veronyka asked. Admittedly, she had been wearing the ring everywhere, but she wore many rings to help her channel her magic, surely one ring wouldn’t stand out so much.

“Well, you mean aside from that ring on your finger? And Lyse’s too, I might add,” said Tataru. “I am quite good at gathering information, as a matter of fact.”

“I forgot about that,” said Veronyka.

“You mean you forgot how she managed to make e’en the great Cap’n Carvallain turn pale?” Ronja asked. Veronyka would not have been surprised if Ronja had dug out a bag of popcorn.

“Right,” said Veronyka with a sigh, slumping. Before immediately straightening up again as Tataru jabbed her in the back with a sewing needle. “Ow!”

“Keep your back straight,” said Tataru as Veronyka bristled, tail lashing. Veronyka glared at a giggling Astrid. “I wouldn’t get too comfortable, Miss Witte, I’ve seen that sparkler on your finger.”

There was a quiet gasp, followed by the door closing as Astrid slipped out. Veronyka envied her that freedom.

“Oh, come now, Veronyka, it’s not so bad, is it?” Zelda asked. “You know you’ll get a beautiful dress out of it in the end.”

“I do know that,” said Veronyka. “I just hate being trapped for fittings.”

“I thought black mages were supposed to be famous for standing still?” Tataru asked.

“It’s different when I’m casting spells,” said Veronyka.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m mostly getting the shape of the dress down first,” said Tataru. “So I’ll let you go once I’ve finished taking your measurements.”

“Are you almost finished?” Veronyka asked, perking up.

“I will be finished sooner if you stop squirming,” said Tataru, her smile bright while her eyes promised death. Veronyka held so still that she scarcely breathed, trying hard to ignore Ronja’s muffled laughter. Alessa, perhaps taking pity on Veronyka’s suffering, had elected not to join the other women in ‘helping’ with the fitting, while Eden was in Doma with her prince and Jacky was banned after suggesting places to hide knives one too many times. Still, at least Zelda was moral support, and Ronja had offered to give Tataru advice on some Ala Mhigan designs.

Though privately, Veronyka was almost positive that Ronja was here mostly for entertainment.

At last, Tataru scribbled one more thing in her notebook before beginning to release Veronyka from her prison of pins and fabric.

“There we are, all done,” said Tataru. “I’ll discuss the design with your Roegadyn friend here and call you on your linkpearl once I have the first design drafts and fabrics.”

“Anjelain might be able to help with that too,” said Veronyka as she stepped down from the pedestal and changed back into her black coat and boots. The tights had been allowed to stay on, being skin-tight as they were. “He’s quite skilled at weaving.”

“I’ll give him a call, then,” said Tataru. “Just let me know if you have any ideas, won’t you? It is your dress, after all.”

“I will,” said Veronyka, nodding at her. “And thank you so much for making this for me.” She gave the lalafell a smile. “I truly do appreciate it.”

“Well, you appreciated Lyse’s new outfit well enough, if I recall,” said Tataru. Veronyka froze, her face turning as red as her fiancee’s clothing as her tail swished gently behind her. Tataru giggled. “I told you, I notice things!”

“I’m leaving now,” said Veronyka, her face still hot as she left the room. Though deep down, she was thrilled that Tataru was making her dress. What Tataru lacked in other skills, she more than made up for in her ability to create a darn good outfit.

Though Veronyka would still warn Lyse to be on her guard for sneaky lalafells who favoured the colour pink.


	6. Nonagenarian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronyka learns just how old her vampire paramour is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in the vampire AU that I've written a few fics for

In her life, Veronyka had heard many a mortal say that age was but a number. And perhaps that didn’t matter so much, when one was mortal, perhaps vampires never even thought about that. But there was knowing that someone was immortal, and then there was seeing that same someone who looked as though she couldn’t be much older than Veronyka herself. Maybe thirty summers at the most?

And perhaps Veronyka wouldn’t even be thinking about this if Minfilia hadn’t given her leave to ask whatever she wished, whatever happened to be on her mind. Yet the words spilled out before Veronyka could stop them, perhaps urged on by Minfilia’s twinkling gaze as she sipped on her wine.

“How long have you lived, exactly?” Veronyka asked, and then immediately bit her tongue, wanting to take the words back as hot shame rose up in her. Minfilia smiled, swirling the wine in her glass.

“Oh, I haven’t been asked that in a while,” said Minfilia.

“I-I’m sorry,” said Veronyka, her ears folded flat to her head. Her tail swished behind her in agitation, brushing the tiled floor upon which the armchair that she sat in was perched. “I should have asked something less intrusive.”

“It is a perfectly valid question, especially when one does not age,” said Minfilia. “And I do not mind giving the answer. Just mind that you do not ask my mother, for she may take offense.” Veronyka nodded, her cheeks still burning, even the tips of her ears burning red hot. “I am a little over a century now, I believe.”

“What?” Veronyka blurted, and immediately covered her mouth with her hands. “Sorry! It’s just, you don’t-“

“I don’t look it?” Minfilia asked, tilting her head to one side. “I know. Some vampires age gracefully, especially those that do not love violence above all. There is something to be said for not dirtying your hands with the blood of others too much.” Yet Minfilia could fight, Veronyka had seen that plenty of times, amazed at the grace and power in the vampire.

“Certainly,” said Veronyka, her heart still hammering in her chest.

“I trust that it will not… cause too many problems?” Minfilia asked. “That I am many years your senior. I did not realise that mortals could be so… fussy about those things.” Sometimes, Minfilia truly did sound like an immortal, ageless creature. Yet Veronyka did not hold this against her. She could not, not when this was the life she wanted for herself too.

“Of course not,” said Veronyka, her heart surging in her chest. “I enjoy your company too much for it to matter how old you are. I was simply… curious. Some say that I’m too curious for my own good.”

“Twas your own curiosity that would have led you to me one way or another,” said Minfilia. Veronyka believed that. She couldn’t imagine a life without Minfilia in it, and she hadn’t even known her all that long. It was almost frightening.

“So I will always look as young and beautiful as you?” Veronyka asked, recovering from her social blunder rather swiftly. Minfilia often had that effect on her.

“For many centuries, yes,” said Minfilia, nodding. “My mother is finally beginning to show her age, though I will not say any more than that.”

“I certainly won’t ask her,” said Veronyka. “And I’m very glad that she wasn’t around when I asked you.” Minfilia laughed, a light sound, full of warmth that enveloped Veronyka.

“You should certainly count your blessings,” said Minfilia. “Though, I will say that my many years have lent me much and more experience.” The meaning in her tone had Veronyka taking a large gulp of her wine to hide her blushing cheeks.

“That is good to know,” said Veronyka. Perhaps someday, she would accompany the vampire she so adored to her bedchambers. Perhaps someday, when she could dare to look her in the eye when such things were said, when she no longer shied away from affection. When she could calm her racing heart enough to even lie together with a vampire, never mind doing anything else. When she could be brave enough to kiss her, without Minfilia needing to initiate. Minfilia was waiting, she knew, not wanting to break the fragile soul who had only recently begun to open up to her, not wanting to overwhelm her with too many things at once.

Veronyka was grateful for this, truly, yet still she worried that the wait may grow too long for Minfilia, that the vampire may tire of waiting for her. And a deep part of her yearned for Minfilia to pull her out of her anxiety, to show her that there was nothing to be afraid of, to pull her into this new stage of their relationship and leave behind the scared little orphan that she’d once been.

Yet Minfilia would wait. She would always wait. Minfilia was well-versed in playing the long game, apparently waiting for what she most desired to come to her. It was just the way she was.


	7. Clamour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronyka unleashes her all at the battle at Ghimlyt Dark. For Ala Mhigo.

For all of the battles that she had fought and won, all of the enemies that Veronyka had faced… she’d never expected to find herself in the midst of a warzone. True, she had technically fought in the Dragonsong War towards the very end of it, showing up to help defeat Nidhogg before returning to the deserts of Southern Thanalan where Lyse (then masquerading as Yda) had waited, but… that had been different. That had been a few small fights, battling a few primal threats, including the Archbishop-turned-primal that Thordan had become. Not even the Nadaam could compare to the clamour of battle, the din of metal against metal, the explosions both near and far, some flung from her own two hands.

It felt so very, very different, too, to be fighting for something that she truly believed in, that sunk its claws into her heart and would not let go. Her soul burned to fight for this home that she had only so recently rediscovered, to see it safe, to stop the Garlean threat from advancing any further than the Ghimlyt Dark.

And, all around her, Veronyka’s friends fought, too. Ronja with her fists, using the lessons taught to her by the revived monk tradition to fell foe after foe, these foes held in place by Jacky wielding her newly-repurposed gunblade, Alessa with her sword and shield, Astrid with her own greatsword, unleashing her own inner turmoil to enable her to fight better, to protect her friends as she had been unable to protect the one whom she had loved.

And then, out of the clamour, the smoke- a flash of red, of blonde hair, as a familiar figure fought her way onto the battlefield, helping to put down a larger pack of foes that had come from seemingly nowhere, a mixture of magitek creations and Garlean soldiers.

“Told you I’d be here to help you out,” said Lyse, giving a grin to her girlfriend without breaking concentration, delivering a powerful blow to the leg joint of a mechanical scorpion which crippled it.

“We could not well abandon our allies in their time of need,” said Hien, his own colourful coat billowing around him as he ran at another monstrosity, he and Eden fighting side by side as any good couple should.

Though, while Veronyka dearly longed to fight by Lyse’s side, she knew well, having learned in Totorak so very many summers ago, that her place was at the edges of battle, flinging spells and avoiding being hit as best she could. Yet she still channelled her all into every spell, spurred on by the need to fell the enemies before Lyse could become too badly injured.

Yet still, more enemies came, pouring out of the surroundings like so many ants out of an anthill set ablaze.

“We’ll handle these guys,” said Lyse, nodding to Solar’s leader. “Zelda, you guys continue on. Nyka, I’ll see you after this for a well-earned drink.” Veronyka grinned and laughed, though she couldn’t resist the need to dart in and give Lyse a quick kiss before they continued on.

“Just be careful, okay? I love you,” said Veronyka.

“I will and you too,” said Lyse, smiling at her. “To both things. Now, go on and end this so we can have that drink.”

And Veronyka ran on after her friends, lighter than she’d felt in moons, flinging spells as easily as breathing. For Lyse, for her country, she would do this. It was so easy to fight, when you believed in what you were fighting for.

After fighting their way through several foes, joined a few times by Aymeric, Yugiri, even Kan-e-senna, Solar found themselves facing two sisters. Yet, if they were so powerful, the best of their legion to face off against the heroes of Eorzea, why had Solar not heard of them?

“This should be a piece of cake,” said Veronyka, twirling her staff through her fingers. “Let’s make this quick, I’ve got a date.”

“Me too,” said Eden, her gaze steely.

“And me,” said Ronja. She was always the more vocal about her relationship with Yugiri.

“Let’s not let our guard down yet,” Zelda cautioned them. Jack nodded.

“Aye,” said Jack. Though the melancholy had all but consumed him following Urianger’s loss of consciousness, he could still fight. A stronger man than Veronyka, in that regard. Though, she supposed, if anything had happened to Lyse, she would have come in here with no plan but to attack, to kill, to take out her frustrations on any who dared oppose her.

Not unlike Zenos, she supposed. That thought gave her a shiver, before Jacky got the attention of one of the sisters. The fight was on.

It was a difficult battle, full of a lot of movement, Veronyka cursing every time the effect of enochian left her spells, waiting for the right time to renew it, to allow her to be as powerful as she could possibly be.

And then, at last, both sisters entered the ring once more, charging up something powerful. Usually, in battle, Zelda gave the orders, telling her team what to do, how best to defeat an enemy. But, just this once, filled with love for her homeland, Veronyka leaped forward without even consulting Zelda.

Opening her mind, Veronyka called out to the heavens, her body burning with the energy expended as a shower of stars was brought down upon the spot where the sisters were standing.

“For Ala Mhigo!” Veronyka cried, the sentiment echoed by her friends as hands were raised to lend greater strength to the spell.

Stars rained down upon the two sisters, leaving nothing in their wake but a crater and two bodies. And, almost, a third, as Veronyka slumped to the ground, exhausted by the effects of the spell. Yet she smiled as healing magic washed over her, knitting together wounds and restoring some small amount of her energy. She had done it. Now, there was nothing standing in the way of rebuilding Ala Mhigo.

Well, except for the annoying little fact that Zenos yet lived. They’d have to deal with that later.


	8. Lush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronyka finally gets the answers that she seeks regarding her parents.

Ever since she’d been a young miqitten, Veronyka had believed that her parents were out there somewhere. Adventurers, saving the realm from the new dangers that had arisen in the wake of the calamity. And thus, she had wanted to be just like them when she grew up- an adventurer, going from place to place, fighting whichever battles she could. And, if she found them along the way, that would just be an added bonus.

But now, having been the realm over and back several times (or at least, the vast majority of it), and spoken to the leaders of the various adventurers guilds, Veronyka was beginning to wonder if her parents truly were out there somewhere. Or if, far more likely, they had met their end and been buried in graves that her sister would not tell her about.

It was only the sight of a familiar sky above the Peering Stones, though, that prompted Veronyka to go searching for answers. Why was the sight of the stars so familiar, as though she’d lain here before, gazing up at them, a familiar voice pointing out constellations?

“Nyka?” said Lyse, kneeling beside her, breaking Veronyka from her thoughts. “You’re not normally this quiet. What’s up?”

“I think I need to ask my sister about my parents again,” said Veronyka. “And this time not leave until I have the truth.”

“Are you sure you want to know?” Lyse asked. “What if it’s… you know, bad?”

“I think I’m in a good enough place to handle that now, at least,” said Veronyka, sitting up. “But wouldn’t you want to know what happened to your parents if you’d been brought up by Yda?”

“You’re right,” said Lyse, looking away from her girlfriend. “I just… worry, that’s all.”

“I’ve been reforged in the fire of battle, as they say,” said Veronyka. “And if it does upset me, I’ll have you to turn to for comfort.”

“Want me to come with you?” Lyse asked, giving her girlfriend a soft smile as she placed her hand over Veronyka’s own. Veronyka’s ears perked up as she smiled in return, her tail swishing behind her.

“Always,” said Veronyka.

They set out the next morning, just the two of them, catching an airship from Gridania. As she walked through the log tunnel that led to the Hawthorne Hut, Veronyka remembered the very first time that she’d come through here dealing with pests for the sylphs’ cooperation, stumbling against Lyse as a flash of smoke and fire had burst into her mind, the Echo clutching at her mind, willing her to remember something from her childhood. Knowing what she knew now about the Resistance, her theory about her parents seemed more plausible. Yet the M tribe hadn’t spoken anything about her parents to her. Then again, she hadn’t asked. Perhaps her sister had begged them to keep it a secret, or perhaps they had not wanted to distract Veronyka and her friends from dealing with the Ananta problem.

Veronyka paused as the memory tugged at her, her hand pressed against the log wall.

“Nyka?” Lyse asked, concern in her blue gaze. Veronyka looked from her to the lush forest around them, her mind recalling a night of fire and explosions with stars peeking through the smoke every now and then, held in her sister’s arms until Gridania had turned them away. Falling asleep in her sister’s arms on the ferry to Limsa Lominsa, where at last they had been welcomed with open arms.

“Just putting things together in my mind,” said Veronyka. “I think… I think my sister and I escaped from Gyr Abania when I was a baby.”

“Is that why you were so drawn to me?” Lyse joked. Veronyka smiled at her, nudging her gently.

“After all I’ve experienced, that wouldn’t surprise me,” said Veronyka. “But there’s only one person we can go to for answers. I suppose I could also ask the M tribe, but…”

“It’s better to hear it from family,” said Lyse. “I know.” And, taking Veronyka’s hand, she led her out into the East Shroud, and from there, a few quick teleport hops to New Gridania and the airship landing within.

After enquiring at the Drowning Wench, Veronyka and Lyse made their way to the arcanists’ guild, where Louisa was meeting with the current guildmaster to talk security.

“Veronyka? I didn’t expect to see you here again,” said Louisa after her carbuncle had waddled over to sniff at her sister’s feet. Lyse crouched down to scratch the creature under the chin, the carbuncle soon rolling over onto its back.

“I have some questions for you, actually,” said Veronyka. “But not here.” Seeing the look in her sister’s eyes, Louisa sighed, nodding, and bid farewell to the guildmaster.

The three travelled back to the small apartment that Louisa rented on the Upper Decks, not too far from the Admiral’s own quarters. Louisa could have quite easily moved in with the Admiral, everyone knowing of their relationship anyway, but it was decided that two places be kept for safety’s sake, along with their busy schedules.

“Well, what is it that you wanted to ask?” Louisa asked once she’d closed the door. Veronyka took a seat on the couch in the main room, making it very clear that she was not leaving.

“I want to know about our parents,” said Veronyka. “The truth this time.”

“She deserves to know,” said Lyse. “Not that it’s really my place to get in the middle of family business, but…”

“You’re not ready,” said Louisa. Veronyka lashed her tail, eyes flashing.

“And when will I be ready?” Veronyka asked. “When you’re on your deathbed? Please don’t make me wait that long.” Her emotions rose up, but Lyse swept a thumb over the back of her hand, soothing her, bringing her back from the edge.

“She deserves to know,” came a commanding voice, a familiar one, and all three women turned to see Merlwyb leaving the bathroom wrapped in a silken black robe. Louisa blushed pink, her tail lashing behind her.

“After the way you fell apart before, I wasn’t sure if it was ever going to be a good time to tell you,” said Louisa.

Veronyka pinned her ears, her tail lashing behind her, but she couldn’t argue with that. She had fallen apart after Minfilia’s disappearance, and quite badly, too, losing herself in her grief and her rage. Until she’d found Lyse in the rolling sandhills of Southern Thanalan, all seemed to have been lost. But she breathed deeply, unclenching fingers that had curled into fists at her sides.

“If you won’t tell me, I’ll just start guessing,” said Veronyka. “Did we escape from Gyr Abania one night when I was very young?”

“Tell the girl,” said Merlwyb. “You have carried this secret for far too long.”

“Yes,” said Louisa, her voice softer, more fragile, than her earlier demeanour had suggested. “A skirmish between the Resistance and the Garleans came too close to our camp, so… our parents bade me run with you to safety in Eorzea. Even if it meant leaving our tribe behind, and our names.”

“The M tribe?” Veronyka guessed. At Louisa’s surprise, she nodded. “I’ve met them.”

“Our parents were seen as foolhardy to join the Resistance, but I think they saved the M tribe that night. Again,” said Louisa. “Gridania turned us away, which… isn’t all that surprising, really, and we certainly didn’t have the coin to get to Ul’dah. And so we came instead to La Noscea, where I took up work on a farm in exchange for board. I received word later that our parents didn’t survive that night. I’m so sorry for keeping the truth from you for so long, Nyka, truly, I…” There were tears in her eyes, but Veronyka only rose from her seat and approached her, embracing her sister.

“You did the best you could,” said Veronyka, her throat thick with tears. “Especially given the circumstances. And, honestly, it’s probably a good thing that you didn’t tell me the truth back then. I might’ve run off looking for vengeance instead. Joined the Griffin, instead of helping to slay him.”

“I can believe that,” said Louisa. “And I’m sorry for thinking that you weren’t ready even now.” Veronyka shook her head.

“You have carried the secret for so long, revealing it at last must be strange,” said Merlwyb. Lyse nodded from her place still seated on the couch, waiting for Veronyka to return to her.

“Yeah, I know the feeling,” said Lyse.

“It is,” said Louisa. “But I can at last tell you everything, answer any question you might have.”

“You said you changed our names,” said Veronyka. “What were we called before?”

“I merely dropped the ‘M’,” said Louisa. “But you were M’nyka.”

“Oh gods, I was calling you the more intimate version of your name this whole time,” said Lyse. “I’m so sorry, Nyka.” Her cheeks were red, but Veronyka only laughed.

“It suits you, though,” said Veronyka. “And I didn’t know, so it’s okay. Though that may be why I caught onto it so quickly.”

“Most likely,” said Louisa.

“And why I feel so at home in Gyr Abania,” said Veronyka. “Don’t worry, Louisa, I’ll fight for our homeland and win it back from the Garleans. For our parents, if nothing else.”

“I just want you to be safe and happy,” said Louisa.

“Well, I’m not sure if a Warrior of Light can ever be safe… but I’m definitely happy,” said Veronyka. “Thank you for finally telling me.”

“I’m glad you took it so well,” said Louisa. “And remember that I’ll be here if you have any questions. And this time, I’ll answer them truthfully.”

“I’ll make sure that she does,” said Merlwyb. “Go well, Veronyka. Though I pray that you do not forget your loyalty to the Maelstrom in your duties to the Resistance.”

“Til sea swallows all,” said Veronyka, giving the Maelstrom salute. Merlwyb smiled at her, returning the gesture. No matter where the journey took her, Veronyka would never forget her roots. No matter how many places they lay in.


	9. Avail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the battle at the Reach, words are exchanged and wounds mended.

Through the shroud of smoke and haze of fire, through the stench of blood, including her own, Veronyka saw her. Saw them. A panicked Lyse, kneeling by the fallen body of Y’shtola, blood staining the ground around the form of the fallen miqo’te, and Krile by her side, applying what healing magic she could.

Veronyka’s heart strained as she surged to her feet, her injured arm throbbing, the healer tutting at her disapprovingly as she made her way, step by agonising step, across the Reach to where the two women were. She fell to her knees beside them, Lyse grabbing her and holding on tight. Though whether to support herself or to support her girlfriend, it was not clear. Perhaps it was both. For they both looked to Y’shtola, her face a tight grimace of pain, white ears pinned back into white hair as Krile’s healing magic did what it could to stem the internal bleeding.

Y’shtola’s blind eyes opened, seeking out the familiar touch of purple that signified Veronyka, finding her beside pure gold.

“Veronkya,” Y’shtola croaked, reaching a bloodied hand out to her. “I-“ she stopped as pain gripped her, shuddering as it passed through her. “I cannot apologise enough for what I have done to you. For the damage that I have caused.”

“I forgive you,” said Veronyka, tears in her eyes as she leaned over Y’shotla, trying to peer into sightless eyes. “I know now that what happened wasn’t your fault, not entirely.”

“Twas a dangerous spell, and I knew that,” said Y’sholta.

“Yet she’d use it again if the situation called for it,” said Krile. Y’shtola did not deny that. “Though it would avail us naught to have friction in the group, so thank you for apologising, Y’shtola. And for forgiving her, Veronyka.”

“I’m not forgiving your mentor, though,” said Veronyka. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“She never was good at providing comfort,” said Y’shtola. “Cranky old bat.”

“She told me to essentially get over it,” said Veronyka. “I think I set one of her brooms on fire.” Y’shtola’s face twisted into a smile, then changed to a grimace.

“I’m sure that takes her back,” said Y’shtola.

“I may ask you two to leave if you’re only going to make her laugh,” said Krile. “Run along and finish getting your arm healed, Veronyka.”

“Thank you, Veronyka,” said Y’shtola. “For your forgiveness.”

“You can make it up to me by surviving,” said Veronyka.

As the two walked away, Krile turned her gaze back to her patient.

“Did you throw yourself between Zenos’ blade and Lyse to seek her forgiveness?” Krile asked, Y’shtola wincing as the healing magic took effect again.

“It may have been driven by guilt, yes,” said Y’shtola. “But you know how I am.”

“Unfortunately,” said Krile. “Though I will not always be there to tend your wounds when you insist on throwing yourself into the fire.”

“I know,” said Y’shtola. And mayhap someday, she would learn her lesson, to not tempt fate overmuch. But where was the fun in that?


	10. Ultracrepidarian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronyka helps the Resistance leaders with a problem, and realises that maybe being a Resistance leader won't be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you notice a difference between this and the previous few entries, it's because I got a decent night's rest.

When Veronyka had first started noticing women, she hadn’t really expected to be lucky enough to end up dating one. For the ones whom she was interested in all seemed far out of her league, stronger than her, more elegant than her. And then there had been what might have been with V’kebbe had she stayed, and then there had been Minfilia, who had invited Veronyka into her world and her arms as easily as breathing. And now there was Lyse, who had always been there until she’d finally stepped out of the shadows and into the light, and Veronyka had finally taken notice of her.

But now here she was, having been lifted to a station far beyond what she had ever dared dream for herself, and it was… terrifying. Just slightly. She was an adventurer, what did she know about leading the Resistance? It helped a lot that Lyse was in the same boat, though, both of them trying to steer their way on these uncharted waters. But all they could really do was ask their friends and allies for help, whether that be beastmen leaders or leaders of the various city state of Eorzea. Or the leader of Solar, of course.

At first, looking out upon the Resistance members, there had been anxiety. But now, Veronyka had gotten quite used to sitting by Lyse’s side all day, usually filling out paperwork or helping the Resistance members with whatever they needed. They could usually do this together. Usually.

But today, Lyse had other duties with the Ananta, meeting their leader to discuss trade and strengthening their alliance, as well as how things had been going with the Qalyana and the Qiqirn. Leaving Veronyka all on her lonesome at the leaders’ tent, feeling more than a little out of her depth. Panic gripped her as an Ala Mhigan youth approached the table, though she tried not to let it show, only giving him a smile that she hoped betrayed none of her fear and uncertainty.

“Oh, is Lyse not here?” the youth asked as he stood on the other side of the table.

“No, unfortunately,” said Veronyka. “It’s just me.” Even M’naago was out somewhere, and Veronyka could only pray that her lessons with the various leaders would pay off. “Did you need her for something?”

“Well, you fought for us, right?” the youth asked. Veronyka nodded.

“I did, yes,” said Veronyka. “I helped liberate our homeland from the grasp of the Garleans.”

“That’s good enough for me,” said the youth. “We need a little help out at the Lochs, you see. Many of the crafters there who are helping to start producing salt again are very good at their job, but not so good at defence. Swinging a pickaxe at the vilekin that venture a little too close isn’t very… threatening, after not doing any damage. We fear that someday, we may begin losing workers.”

“I see,” said Veronyka. “Did you need me to put them down for you?” It reminded her of when she had just been starting out as an adventurer, putting down vilekin in exchange for some gil and the cooperation of various people.

“I was actually hoping that you could… teach us how to do it,” said the youth. “So that we could learn by example, you know?”

“That’s a great idea, actually,” said Veronyka, embarrassed that she hadn’t even thought of that. “I’m sure the Reach will be fine without me for a little bit while I teach you and your men how to defend yourselves.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” said the youth, grinning at her. As Veronyka left the Reach with him, though, the thought that she may be being led into a trap nagged at her. But no. The other people of the Reach wouldn’t allow a spy to reach her. Besides, she could defend herself if need be.

Mercifully, the youth led her to the Lochs, as he’d promised, and the workers all paused to pay homage to one of the great heroes of their land. Veronyka blushed at the praise, bowing to them gratefully.

“One of the great heroes has agreed to help us with our plight against the vilekin,” said the youth who had brought her here. “Pray listen to her wisdom carefully, that we may always know the techniques used to keep vilekin at bay.”

All eyes were on Veronyka now, and she felt just a little out of her depth.

“Just follow my lead,” said Veronyka. “I’ll show you what to do and then explain what I did, it’s probably easier that way.”

Spying a nearby yabby, Veronyka drew her staff and strode out into the squishy sand, ignoring the way it sucked against her boots. She got its attention with a quick swiftcasted blizzard spell, before moving into fire, eventually leaving the creature a charred husk, curled on its back. Yabby meat was quite a delicacy, so she hoped that some had survived.

“Now, I know that there are not many thaumaturges or black mages among you,” said Veronyka. “However, the basics remain the same- if you prefer the ranged style of fighting, keep out of the way of claws and any attacks, and aim for the soft spots like the eyes and underbelly. Melee fighters might have an easier time upending the creatures onto their backs. Of course, how you fight the creature depends on what the creature is, but aiming for the weak points is always a good idea. Generally, you can find weak points by looking for which parts the creature tries to hide, or you can create it if you manage to pierce any thicker parts. Either find an opening or create one, and then keep hitting that part until the creature dies.”

“Like finding gaps in the armour of one of the Skulls,” a listening youth said, their fellow youths cheering them on.

“Exactly,” said Veronyka, nodding. “The only difference is that vilekin may have different kinds of attacks, so you must learn them and learn how to deal with them.”

“And what if one of the hunt monsters comes our way?” an older man asked. “Mahisha has been known to cause some strife.”

“Then you need only call me and I will assemble Solar to deal with it,” said Veronyka. “Feel free to watch us, though, and learn from our example. Fighting is all about learning to be better. Though, perhaps setting up some traps for the vilekin will also help to stave them off if you cannot fight them.”

“Wise words,” said the older man, nodding to her. “We will be safe with you leading us.”

“Thank you,” said Veronyka, relief filling her. She hadn’t been sure if the Ala Mhigans would accept someone who had been an adventurer for so long, worried that they may reject her as some had rejected Lyse. But, as they both had learned, actions spoke far louder than words ever could. Maybe it wasn’t so presumptuous of them to take on these roles, and the people were finally seeing that.


	11. Tooth and Nail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the battle at the Reach, Veronyka visits an injured friend.

In all of the chaos and confusion, all of the mess, that had been the battle at Rhalgr’s Reach, when Zenos and the Skulls had ambushed the Reach while it had been unprotected, Veronyka had almost missed one of the most important developments in their group. It shamed her, more than a little, to find out only after the fact that Zelda had fallen in battle. But first, it had worried her- that someone as strong and as seemingly bulletproof as Zelda could be felled…

As soon as the healer had given Veronyka permission to leave her bed (the order only being heeded thanks to Lyse’s worry over her near-death experience when her manaward had shattered under Zenos’ blade), she’d left her own part of the infirmary, moving with her arm held in a sling to prevent movement that could hamper the healing process. It did hurt, quite a lot, but she would recover. The same could perhaps not be said for many of the other wounded. Y’shtola looked especially dire.

But now, here was Zelda, looking pale and weak in her hospital bed, bandages wrapped around her torso peeking out from beneath the covers. Her black hair looked especially dark against her pale skin, though her eyelids flickered as though she were dreaming.

“She’s yet to awaken,” a familiar voice rumbled from a chair by Zelda’s bed, and Veronyka turned carefully to behold Jack, the Hrothgar who had all but adopted her over the course of their many adventures together. He’d fought tooth and nail just like the rest of them, sporting bandages of his own over still-healing wounds.

“Can I ask what happened, exactly?” Veronyka asked, spying an empty seat and sitting in it, glad to be able to rest her arm on something. It felt awkward, to have it simply hanging there, straining her shoulder. “I didn’t…” Jack’s eye caught her own, and she was relieved to find no chastisement there. After how selfish she’d been, running off after discovering what had happened to Minfilia, she almost felt that she deserved some chastisement.

“She threw herself in front of Akku to protect him,” said Jack, his gaze going to another figure in the room, a blue-furred miqo’te boy curled up in a chair drawn up close to the other side of Zelda’s bed. “But there was something… else.” Veronyka looked at Jack again, almost wishing that the room were brighter. But Zelda needed her rest. “It almost seemed as though she’d been possessed. But she seemed to fight harder, changing shape like she did after the battle with Nidhogg. If you saw that part, anyway.” And Veronyka did remember, remembered Zelda’s transformation, how it had been brought back under control thanks to her friends. Remembered the feeling of the world shifting under her, how it had been the event that had at last freed the last seal on the wall that she’d built around herself, the event that had at last seen her rejoin her friends on their adventures. How the thought that she’d missed something that big had shaken her to her core. But then, it seemed, they had all missed it. For Zelda had hidden it well.

“I did, actually,” said Veronyka, though not in the heated way that she would have said it earlier. “Why do you think I moved back into Fortemps Manor the next day?”

“Truly?” Jack asked, looking at her. Veronyka nodded. 

“That fight with Nidhogg and what happened after it snapped me out of it,” said Veronyka. “She doesn’t need to hide what’s happening to her, we can help her with it. But she’s just so strong that seeing her like this…” She broke off, tears welling in her eyes.

“I know,” said Jack. “It feels wrong.”

“It is wrong,” said Veronyka. “And that’s why we have to fight, isn’t it? To right those wrongs, to make up for them, to make it so that there’s just that little bit more of goodness in the world. Or so Lyse says, anyway.”

“And do you believe her?” Jack asked.

“Of course I do,” said Veronyka. “Her advice helped get me through the worst time in my life. I actually spoke to her after that day on the bridge and asked her if it was okay if I went back to adventuring with you guys. And she said that of course it was okay, that it was what she wanted for me. I won’t lie though- getting that linkpearl call from her really made me happy.”

“Oh, I noticed,” said Jack. “I can see a lot with this one eye, you know.” Veronyka laughed, brushing away her tears with the back of her good hand.

“I’m going to tell Zelda how she helped me when she wakes up,” said Veronyka, curling her tail around her legs. “Even though it sounds bad that something that hurt her so much helped me a great deal, but…”

“She’ll understand,” said Jack. “Though it’s just a waiting game now, I’m afraid.” Veronyka turned her gaze back to Zelda, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest. She would be okay… wouldn’t she?


	12. Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanamo dines with some of the saviours of Ala Mhigo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Saltery stuff is one of my favourite Gyr Abania sidequests. That and the one where you bring the Ala Mhigans home.

Dinner at the Saltery was a fine affair, all things considered. Veronyka indulged in Ala Mhigan foods the likes of which she’d never really tasted before, her sister having cooked mainly meals local to the La Noscean area in which they lived (possibly due to lack of fresh ingredients for much else). They were delicious, truly, bringing her tastebuds alive in ways she’d never really known of before, awakening in her the love of her homeland. Lyse seemed right at home, as did Ronja, Veronyka’s Roegadyn Ala Mhigan friend who had come to help out with the cooking.

“Well, that was wonderful,” said Nanamo, dabbing her small mouth with a napkin sized specially for lalafells. She smiled at Ronja. “My compliments to the chef.”

“Naw, wasn’t all my doin’,” said Ronja. “But thanks anyway, Na- er, Lilira.” Nanamo giggled, dressed in her usual disguise. Oh, the scandal that it would cause if the leader of Ul’dah were to be seen socializing with such rebels.

“And to you as well, Veronyka and Lyse,” said Nanamo. “For bringing the Saltery back to life.”

“It was your generous contribution that made any of this possible in the first place,” said Veronyka. “Though it was a wonderful surprise to find you here.”

“Mayhap I simply wanted to be a part of something for once,” said Nanamo, sitting back in her chair. “For so long, I have sat upon my lofty perch in Ul’dah, seeing the suffering of your people and being unable to do anything about it. Oh, of course, I could have so easily opened the city gates to them, but…”

“We all saw what happened at the bloody banquet,” said Lyse. “If you dared to let Ala Mhigan refugees in, there’d be rioting in the streets.”

“I feel like such a coward, bowing and scraping to the monetarists,” said Nanamo, tears glimmering in her emerald eyes.

“The selfsame ones who tried to kill you?” Lyse asked. Nanamo shook her head.

“Let none of what I am about to say leave this table, but I curse those bloody monetarists,” said Nanamo. “Would that I could do something about them, but their power and influence is so strong that I fear they could easily overthrow me, kill me for real this time. Yet I must sneak around as Lady Lilira, where I will not be noticed if I help out the refugees. Sneaking around like a bloody coward.”

“If you’ll excuse my saying so, I think cowardice is justified given that you’ve had a faked attempt on yer life,” said Ronja. Nanamo gave a sigh.

“Papashan tells me as much, as does Raubahn,” said Nanamo. “Yet I fear that this will be difficult for me to accept, nonetheless. Having the Saltery reopened, though, having an excuse to fund the Resistance, seeing the change it is already bringing… that does lessen the sting. Just a little.”

“And you’ll continue to help,” said Lyse. “We’re getting stronger every day, thanks to the Saltery. Which you helped make happen.”

“It was a group effort, really,” said Nanamo. “But thank you, all of you, for allowing me to be a part of this. For allowing me to at last help the Resistance, help the Ala Mhigans, after years of nothing but the odd bone once in a while, as some would put it.”

And there were those refugees, Veronyka knew, who would sooner spit on the sultana than thank her for her contribution, who would protest her being here, as if she were doing so out of pity. Knew that her disguise was as much for the Monetarist spies as it was for the refugees who had been spurned by Ul’dah too many times in the past. Perhaps this would be a step in the right direction, for some of them, at least. Perhaps, in time, the wounds would heal, and the rebels would see Nanamo as an ally at last. But she had at least played her part in laying the first brick that would build Ala Mhigo back up from the ground. The rest was up to time and hard work.


	13. Ache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the battle with Innocence, Veronyka returns to her place of comfort.

Thinking back on it, Veronyka couldn’t quite pinpoint when the aching had started. When the Light that she’d been absorbing as she’d felled each Lightwarden had begun to weigh heavy on her bones, on her very soul. Perhaps it had been after Titania, or perhaps even as far back as Philia. She did, however, remember the pain that had continued to radiate through her long after Storge had fallen. Though perhaps that was more to do with the amount of time she’d spent in the Pristine Palace, simply talking to Minfilia, telling her everything that had happened and hoping that even outside of the Lifestream, Minfilia would hear her.

It was to this place that Veronyka returned now, lowering herself to a more comfortable sitting position, her tail wrapped around her, while Stormy, her pink chocobo, stood guard. The ache was ever-present now, after Innocence had fallen, after Emet-Selch had taken G’raha Tia with him to who knew where. Veronyka had seen the changes wrought in her body, too, seen the Light glowing through her skin, seen the few parts of her fur and hair that had turned as white as a Lightwarden. It stood out rather more against her black clothing, she knew.

When it was dark, Veronyka could light a room. But it wasn’t dark anywhere, not anymore. The Light had returned, brighter than before, and this time, Veronyka was the cause of it. She told this to Minfilia, tears spilling down her cheeks, grateful when she felt her soul being tugged away into the Lifestream.

And then Minfilia’s hands were on her face, brushing away her tears.

“Veronyka, my dear, you could not have known what G’raha was planning,” said Minfilia. “Had I known, I- I am not certain how I would have reacted. Perhaps poorly. No, almost definitely poorly.” Veronyka sniffed, opening her eyes, though Minfilia seemed to glow brighter now. Too bright, almost, even to Sun Seeker eyes which were made for being able to better withstand so much light.

“I almost wish that I’d declined the summons,” said Veronyka, her ears folded back. “Even if it meant never seeing you again. At least then, I wouldn’t be responsible for undoing all your hard work. And we were so close to being finished, too.”

“I know,” said Minfilia, a hand gently stroking Veronyka’s white-streaked hair. “But know that I do not blame you. I could never, not after everything. Would that things could be different…”

“Is there any way that this can be fixed?” Veronyka asked. “That I can go back to normal, that I can get rid of this Light without giving up my life for it?”

“How you have changed,” said Minfilia, giving her a fond smile. “I recall a time when you would have thrown your life away in the pursuit of good. Of revenge.”

“I have responsibilities now,” said Veronyka. “Not that I didn’t before, but- having a city to rebuild is a huge responsibility, and I can’t leave Lyse and M’naago to do that alone.”

“You’ve grown,” said Minfilia, pride in her voice. “And I regret that I cannot give you an easy answer. All that I can do is tell you to trust in your friends, trust in Ardbert. Find Emet-Selch, and put an end to this.”

“Do you know how it will end?” Veronyka asked. Minfilia shook her head.

“Nobody does, not really,” said Minfilia. “I will return you to your body now.”

“Can’t I stay a little longer?” Veronyka asked. “It doesn’t hurt when I’m with you.” For there was no physical body to hurt in the Lifestream. Minfilia cupped her cheek gently.

“Prolonged exposure to the Lifestream can be just as dangerous,” said Minfilia. “But know that I will always be here.” And, saying that, she pulled Veronyka into her arms, holding her as tightly as she dared, Veronyka returning the embrace, clinging to her tightly.

The ache returned as Veronyka awakened, opening her eyes to find Thancred, arms crossed, leaning against the small table in her inn room.

“There, see? She’s fine,” said Thancred, and Veronyka gasped as tiny arms were thrown around her, a tearstained face press into her chest. She tried to hide her hiss of pain, though she couldn’t quite manage. “Easy, Ryne, don’t crush her ribs.”

“I’m sorry!” said Ryne, looking up at Veronyka through teary blue eyes. Though she didn’t let go, Veronyka noticed. “I was just so worried, Thancred found you in the Pristine Palace and you wouldn’t wake up and-“

“It’s okay,” said Veronyka, giving her a gentle smile. “I was just talking to Minfilia, like I’ve been doing since the battle with Innocence.”

“So you were dreaming,” said Thancred, relief washing over his features. Veronyka shook her head.

“No, she pulled me into the Lifestream,” said Veronyka. “We talked for a long time. She doesn’t normally pull me into the Lifestream though, normally she just lets me talk to her. I just feel close to her being there, you know?”

“I know the feeling,” said Thancred. “Though, if she pulled you into the Lifestream…” He trailed off, looking towards the door to Veronyka’s room moments before Y’shtola let herself in without knocking.

“Ah, so you’ve awakened,” said Y’shtola, giving a small, relieved smile in Veronyka’s direction. “Glad am I to see it.”

“She says that she was in the Lifestream speaking to Minfilia,” said Thancred. “Yet the state of her skin bespeaks being in the Light for hours. Besides, Minfilia is…” The fact that Veronyka could not see her sunburn, let alone feel it, frightened her. That the pain had progressed this much…

“Black mages oft walk a fine line between life and death,” said Y’shtola. She walked closer to Veronyka, closing her eyes, though a grimace of pain crossed her features. When she opened her eyes again, her face was set. Determined. “Call Solar together immediately. It is high time we arranged a meeting with Emet-Selch.”


	14. Lucubration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which words are exchanged and forgiveness is given.

Of all the people whom Veronyka had expected to approach her, it was Urianger who surprised her the most. The woman that Veronyka had been when the Warriors of Darkness had first appeared would have hissed at him for daring to even approach her after what he had done, the part he had played. But now, it hurt her to see him so anxious, his fingers toying with the golden chains and baubles hanging from his attire.

It was especially strange to see Urianger away from his lucubration, so busy was he usually with his work. Yet now here he was, adventuring with them. Though, she supposed, he would do anything to return home. And Veronyka couldn’t well blame him for wanting to be near Jack all the time, especially after the time that they’d had apart.

“Urianger?” Veronyka asked, ears perking up as he stood there before her, standing out rather starkly against the red dirt of Ahm Areng. “What’s wrong?”

“Tis I who have wronged,” said Urianger, emotion darkening his eyes. “I cannot understand how thou canst stand to be around me after all that I hath done, the damage that I hath wrought.”

“You still feel guilty about that?” Veronyka asked. “But it was so long ago, Urianger.” Urianger shook his head, pacing, his sandals kicking up red dust.

“I would need be robbed of my sight to not notice your pain of late,” said Urianger. “Minfilia is a constant reminder of the one you hath lost.”

“She is,” said Veronyka. She saw no point in denying that. “But I quickly discovered that she’s just a little girl, as lost and upset by this as any of us, so I needed to get over that so she wouldn’t hurt. I put that pain behind me long ago, Urianger.”

“My point remains,” said Urianger. “Before thou goest to the wall, to where Minfilia last existed in this realm, I would apologise once again for mine actions. For they hath brought us all here.”

“You didn’t orchestrate this, though,” said Veronyka. “I know how you love your stories, but even you didn’t play every part in this one. We all had a part to play. Minfilia. Hydaelyn. Elidibus. Ardbert. My friends and I. Y’shtola. And, yes, you.”

“Had I known that my alliance with the Ascians, temporary though it was, would have led to this…” Urianger trailed off, tears glimmering like molten gold in his eyes.

“Would lead to what? Saving what’s left of this Shard?” Veronyka asked. “Yes, her sacrifice hurts, but it’s better than her being bound to the Mother Crystal as she was. And look at what she has saved.” She gestured to the greater community of Twine around her, the miners all relaxing in shade, often with a mug of some kind of ale in their hands. “I’ve been helping them out while I’ve been here. She would have loved this place, I know she would have. Of all the places on the First… I’m glad that this was her final resting place.”

“Thou hast grown,” said Urianger, his voice thick with emotions even as tears spilled down Veronyka’s cheeks. She wiped them away.

“I used to hate the idea of sacrifice for the greater good,” said Veronyka. “And then Papalymo died, and I started to understand. And then I came here and… I don’t think I’ll ever truly stop missing her. But she did the right thing here. You did the right thing by sending her to the First.”

“By all rights, thou should hate me,” said Urianger. “Despise my very being.” Veronyka shook her head.

“I don’t hate you, Urianger,” said Veronyka. “Maybe I did, back then, back when I was hurting so badly. But not anymore. How can I, when you’re dating my dad? That practically makes you my dad, too.”

“All the more reason for mine guilt,” said Urianger.

“Please stop feeling guilty,” said Veronyka. “I forgive you. Now, go find dad, I think this Light might be roasting him alive.”

“I do not deserve your forgiveness,” said Urianger. “But I thank thee, Veronyka, for putting mine mind at ease.” Veronyka gave him a gentle smile as he walked away. He had more than atoned for his sins. Just so long as he didn’t do it again.


	15. Fade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At day's end, Lyse finds her fiancee in the usual spot.

Veronyka hadn’t known what to expect when she’d crossed the wall to Ala Mhigo. Would it be warm? Cool? Windy? Humid?

Gyr Abania, as it turned out, was rather a warm place. It did get a little misty in some places, for sure, mostly around the rivers, but otherwise, it was warm enough to make long-sleeved clothing feel excessive, if not downright uncomfortable.

At night, though, when the heat of the day faded away, it was downright freezing. As Veronyka had swiftly discovered, Lyse quickly supplying her with all of the warm furs that she’d need. Veronyka had protested at first… until she’d discovered that Lyse had just as many furs.

In fact, the only warmth that remained in Gyr Abania once the sun had gone to bed was that which lingered in the stones that made up the architecture of the place. It was almost like Ul’dah, in that way, only… far more welcoming, in Veronyka’s opinion.

At the sound of a bird’s cry, Veronyka looked up from where she sat on her perch overlooking the Lochs. A smile spread across her face as she beheld Lyse coming to land on the ledge that jutted out from the side of the palace of Ala Mhigo. Lyse dismounted her yol, petting the bird’s neck lovingly before bidding it fly off to find its mate already perched higher up on the wall.

“I thought I might find you here,” said Lyse, dropping down into a cross-legged position beside Veronyka. She was never without her fancier red raiment now, which Veronyka definitely did not mind. It suited her. “Surveying your domain?”

“Perhaps,” said Veronyka, giving her a fond smile and scooting a little closer to her. It was second nature, to lean against Lyse, for Lyse to wind an arm around her fiancée. “Or maybe I was just enjoying the last warmth of the day.”

“You’re such a cat,” said Lyse with a laugh.

“What gave it away?” Veronyka asked with a wiggle of her ears, their laughter ringing out over the Lochs. Lyse rested her chin atop Veronyka’s head, inhaling her scent. She’d smelled strongly of what she could only describe as ‘light’ when she’d first returned from the First, but now, her usual scent of ice and fire (with just the slightest hint of ozone) had returned. Overlaid, of course, with the sweet scents of the pastries that she so enjoyed. The bakery that had recently reopened in Ala Mhigo was quite popular with the Resistance’s new leaders, to say the least.

From up here, there was a perfect view of the Lochs, the still waters reflecting the stars above.

“Did I tell you that Urianger is teaching me the art of the astrologian?” Veronyka asked.

“You did mention it,” said Lyse, nodding against Veronyka’s head. It was a pleasant sensation.

“Maybe I could show you the constellations one night,” said Veronyka. She sounded tired, as if she might fall asleep at any moment. Mayhap she’d been here too long, the warmth lulling her to sleep.

“Just don’t go wearing yourself out,” said Lyse. “You still deserve to rest sometimes. Sure, the Garleans are…”

“Falling apart?” Veronyka finished for her, an amused smile on her lips at the thought.

“Yes,” said Lyse. “And I know that we should still be prepared for anything. But this should be a time of rest, you know?”

“I know,” said Veronyka. “And I’m fine, really.” She yawned, a tiny sound, snuggling a little closer to Lyse. “Though I certainly won’t complain if you want to whisk me away for a romantic weekend…”

“Remember when you were the one begging Minfilia to rest?” Lyse asked. Veronyka lifted her head from Lyse’s chest to look at her, her heart melting at the fond smile on her face.

“I sure followed my own advice, huh?” said Veronyka with a laugh. “Although, I seem to remember a certain best friend dragging me off on all kinds of adventures back then, too.”

“A little distraction is sometimes needed,” said Lyse. “And I’m always willing to provide that for you. Especially now.”

“Even with all of your new responsibilities?” Veronyka asked. “Our new responsibilities?”

“Even with that,” said Lyse, nodding. “Never underestimate my ability to goof off, as Papalymo would put it.”

“I’ve always loved that about you,” said Veronyka, giving her a fond smile. And, in truth, she had come up here to clear her mind, to simply exist and try not to worry about the myriad responsibilities that she had now. Her new astrologian classes. Her constant training with her other fighting styles. Ryne, waiting for her on another Shard, and whatever was happening with the first sin eater and Gaia. And, of course, the preparations for her upcoming marriage. Lyse had ever been more perceptive than one would think, even back when she’d been pretending to be her sister.

“You’ve gone quiet again,” said Lyse after a few moments of silence. “Or have you just fallen asleep?”

“Not asleep,” Veronyka murmured. Lyse chuckled, stroking one hand over Veronyka’s hair, over the braid that she’d carefully woven that morning. How things had changed, how far Veronyka had come from that bright-eyed miqo’te who’d strode into the Solar so long ago and wrapped fingers around Lyse’s heart without even trying. Without even knowing. And, as she had then, Lyse vowed to do whatever she must to keep that spark of light alive.


	16. Panglossian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth comes out and the world does not fall apart.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Lyse had probably expected to hear that question back when she’d first revealed herself, when the mask of Yda had been torn from her to reveal who she truly was. Certainly, there had been shock from the rest of Solar, and from the Scions as well. But Veronyka had been unsurprised to see what Lyse really looked like behind that mask. For she had seen it before, of course. Back when Lyse had been the one to comfort Veronyka, back in the desert, when sharing a tent had led to Veronyka awakening in the middle of the night from a nightmare to find Lyse’s mask fallen from her face in sleep, seen beautiful eyes and hair like gold.

Now, that beautiful face was twisted in uncertainty, shadowed by guilt. So unlike the usually Panglossian personality who Veronyka had known for her whole adventuring life with the Scions. She held the remnants of her disguise in her hands, hands twisting the fabric, gaze barely able to meet Veronyka’s.

“I was going to,” said Lyse. “That night after you fought the Warriors of Darkness.”

“After I said goodbye,” said Veronyka, the pain ever lingering. Lyse nodded.

“Yes,” said Lyse. “You were just so upset, and I was done with hiding myself from you. But then everything just happened so quickly and now…”

“Here we are,” said Veronyka. Lyse seemed surprised to find not anger, not resentment, but- understanding in Veronyka’s eyes.

“So you’re not mad at me?” Lyse asked. “For lying to you?”

“No,” said Veronyka, shaking her head. “How could I ever be mad at you, when you’ve helped me so much? It doesn’t matter what your name is or who you really are, it doesn’t matter that you pretended to be someone else for so long, it doesn’t even matter that you aren’t even technically a Scion. You’re still the same person to me.”

“Really?” Lyse asked, her voice fragile, eyes teary. She seemed as vulnerable as a freshly hatched chocobo chick, and Veronyka couldn’t help but step closer to her. They’d moved to a spot at the edge of the Twelveswood, for privacy, Lyse having expected this to go badly. But now, here Veronyka was. Embracing her.

“Yes,” said Veronyka. “I’ll just need to get used to calling you Lyse now instead of Yda. And get used to seeing you without the mask.” Though, just privately, she could happily get used to that. Even if it had been easier to crush down the butterflies when Lyse had been disguised.

“Really? I… thank you, Nyka,” said Lyse, her voice breaking as she returned the embrace, trembling as she wrapped her arms around Veronyka. Truthfully, she’d been terrified of losing her, especially after losing Papalymo. Was that not why she had accompanied Veronyka and her friends to the Carteneau Flats? If anything happened to take Veronyka from her, she wasn’t sure if she could bear it.

That Veronyka still saw her as a friend was, in Lyse’s eyes, nothing short of a miracle. But if someone who had suffered as much as Veronyka had could still accept her, then… then maybe the future was brighter than Lyse had first expected. She needed only remain her usual, positive self.

And, with Veronyka’s help, that might just be possible.


	17. Where the Heart is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronyka receives a gift from her mentor.

The first home that Veronyka had ever known was a small farm in La Noscea. Lower La Noscea, to be precise. It was rather a strange settlement, honestly, Veronyka usually kept indoors away from the pirates while her sister dealt with them. She remembered almost nothing of this place other than songs sung loudly at night while campfires flickered outside, her sister’s hands over her ears as she’d scowled in the direction of the noise. The place was called Camp Bearded Rock, but Veronyka did not know this at the time. Did not find this out until much later.

And then the sky fell, and the two sisters, after taking refuge in the huge city of Limsa Lominsa, moved to a farm in Middle La Noscea. This one sat firmly in Veronyka’s memory, not only because it was so nice, but because she spent most of her life there growing up. But Veronyka had ever wanted more, ever looking to the horizon and wondering what might be out there beyond Vylbrand.

Veronyka did not have a home for a time after that, not really. Oh yes, she did stay in many an inn, but it was some time before she had a place to return to every night.

That day came when Jack, the Hrothgar whom Veronyka had developed a familial relationship with over the course of their adventures and black mage training, called her into the lobby of the Topmast Apartments in Mist.

“You’re a grown woman, Nyka, you shouldn’t be sharing an apartment with your mentor,” said Jack. And indeed, she had been staying there many nights, when training left her too exhausted to find an inn for the night. “Besides, I’m sure you want a place to bring girls home to.” He chuckled, Veronyka’s cheeks flushing red.

“Sorry if I was bothering you,” said Veronyka. Jack’s eyes widened, though one was hidden behind an eyepatch.

“What? No, it’s not like that at all!” Jack protested, digging in his trouser pocket and retrieving a key. “I just thought that you might like your own privacy and… look, you’re just down the hall from me, so if we train late, you won’t have far to go.” Veronyka’s gaze landed on the key, her eyes widening.

“You… bought me an apartment?” Veronyka asked, holding her hand out. Jack placed the key into it, Veronyka smiling as she ran her fingers over the engraved metal.

“Sure did,” said Jack, nodding. “Having my own one is very nice, so I thought that you might like to have one of your own.”

“My own home,” said Veronyka, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked up at Jack, curling her fingers around the key. “Thank you!” And, before Jack could even prepare himself, Veronyka jumped on him, hugging him tightly. Jack staggered back a step, unused to such affection, but gradually wrapped his own arms around her, gently patting her back.

“You’re welcome,” Jack said gruffly, unfamiliar emotion surging up in him. He was almost glad when Veronyka let go of him, though he smiled to see the miqo’te still grinning from ear to ear as she beheld the key in her hand.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go check it out!” said Veronyka, and she was through the doors leading up the (too damn many, in Jack’s opinion) stairs, her tail disappearing around the corner as soon as Jack managed to climb one flight. He was leaning against the wall, panting, by the time he reached the top, but Veronyka was still brimming with energy, skipping down the hallway to the door marked with her number.

“Give me a minute,” Jack puffed. “These old legs aren’t as strong as yours.” Veronyka laughed, her tail waving behind her, but waited, hopping from foot to foot, while Jack caught up with her.

Only then did Veronyka slide the key into the lock, her heart pounding as she pushed the door open.

Sunlight spilled in through the single window set into the opposite wall, unhindered by any curtains or shutters. Veronyka stepped into the room, open-mouthed, looking first at the bare walls and the bare floorboards. And then, once she reached the middle of the room, she spun in a small circle, her smile only growing.

“You can make any changes you like to it,” said Jack. “Add some partitions to make more rooms, add some windows, change the floor and walls, put in whatever furniture you like, it’s entirely up to you. And, praise the Twelve, any furniture that you buy can be transported via aether to your apartment, so there’s no need to carry it all up the stairs.”

“I’ve never had a place of my own before,” said Veronyka. “I’ve always lived with my sister.”

“Well, now you do,” said Jack. “And don’t worry, there’s no need to pay me back, think of this as a gift for doing so well in your training.”

“Thank you so much!” Veronyka said, and she was hugging him again, tighter this time. “I promise I’ll do my very best to look after it, and I’ll work extra hard in my training from now on.” She looked up at him through eyes still sparkling with tears, and Jack couldn’t help but ruffle her wavy brown hair.

“You’ve earned it,” said Jack. “Want me to help you look for furniture?” Veronyka’s grin and tugging on his hand was all the answer Jack needed.


	18. Foibles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pillow talk is the perfect place for discussions of love.

Nights in Ala Mhigo were surprisingly quiet, even after the reclamation of it from the Garleans. Perhaps it was a holdover from the time of Garlean occupation, when any sound could spell doom. Perhaps it was something that would eventually get better with time. Hopefully, anyway.

When it wasn’t storming (which, being located near the Black Shroud, was extremely rare), the palace was very quiet. Yet not quiet enough that conversation felt uncomfortable. And sometimes, it was nice to simply lie in bed and talk with a loved one about simple things. Or deeper things. Pillow talk often took some strange directions, Veronyka had found.

But when Lyse was gently stroking her palm with her thumb like this, that wistful, nostalgic expression on her face, Veronyka knew that the conversation would take a turn for the serious. And she didn’t mind that, not really. Lyse so rarely shared her deeper thoughts, possibly afraid of not appearing cheerful. It warmed Veronyka’s heart a lot to know that she was the rare exception to this rule, though.

“You know, there was a time when I never really thought that you’d ever want to be with someone like me, let alone marry me,” said Lyse, her thumb brushing across the golden engagement ring on Veronyka’s finger.

“Why would anyone not want to be with you, Lyse?” Veronyka asked.

“Oh, you know, why would anyone want to be with someone with so many foibles?” Lyse asked. “As Papalymo put it, anyway. Not that he said I was unlovable, mind! Just. Well, we all know I seemed like a big idiot back when you first met me. And you were so obviously into… someone who was put-together, who didn’t trip over her own feet or dive in headfirst and ask questions later.”

“Lyse, that’s what I’ve always liked about you,” said Veronyka. “How imperfect you are. All of the other Scions, aside from Thancred, all seemed a little… well, out of reach at first. But then there was you, sparring with us and leading the way into dungeons and you just seemed so… real.”

“Even if I was faking it,” said Lyse. Veronyka rolled her eyes fondly.

“Lyse, I know you well enough now to know that your personality wasn’t faked,” said Veronyka. “Only your name and your identity. And your tattoo. Which sounds bad, actually, now that I’m saying it out loud, but you know what I mean, right?” She reached up and stroked her fingers through Lyse’s hair, a little damp from sweat thanks to the heat of the day.

“Yeah. Yeah, I do,” said Lyse. “Just… I can’t help wondering sometimes, why me?”

“I’ve only told you a thousand times,” said Veronyka, giving her fiancée a fond smile. “Do you need me to tell you again?”

“Well, it can’t hurt,” said Lyse, a smile returning to her face now.

“It’s because you brought me back to life,” said Veronyka. “And, okay, it was Zelda who brought me back to the group, but… I don’t think I would’ve even gone to that fight against Nidhogg if you hadn’t shown me that there was something worth fighting for. That the world could still be beautiful, and you could still feel sadness and anger, and that those two things could coexist.”

“You remember that conversation, huh?” said Lyse. The conversation when she had come so close to spilling her secrets.

“I remember all of our conversations under the stars,” said Veronyka. “Even the stupid ones, like debates over pizza toppings.”

“Hey, the topic of pizza toppings is very serious,” said Lyse. Veronyka giggled.

“They were the one thing I started looking forward to,” said Veronyka. “I’d tell myself that if I could just get through the day, I’d be able to talk to you that night.” They’d sit on one of the sand dunes, or just outside of Little Ala Mhigo, and talk for hours about anything that came to mind until one or both of them fell asleep, only to be woken by the other (or Papalymo) and escorted to bed.

“Really?” Lyse asked. “Even though you also had your dad and your friends to talk to?”

“Of course,” said Veronyka. “They were all so busy with their own things, and I know that you had Ala Mhigo even then, but… I don’t know. Maybe I was falling in love with you even then.”

“We can’t really explain how the heart works, I guess,” said Lyse. “All we can do is just… deal with it, I suppose?”

“You’ve always been like a sunbeam,” said Veronyka. “I could never stay away from you. Not really. Just like you couldn’t stay away from me.” Lyse opened and closed her mouth a few times before pursing her lips and then smiling.

“Okay, fine, you’ve got me there,” said Lyse, recalling all of the times that she’d followed Veronyka into fights that she really didn’t need to be a part of.

“We’ve always been drawn together,” said Veronyka, linking their fingers together. “Almost like it’s fate.”

“Even if it meant that we both had to suffer so much?” Lyse asked.

“I never said that it was an entirely happy fate,” said Veronyka. “But I’m happy now. And I wouldn’t change anything. Well. Almost anything.” They both knew what she alluded to, but neither wanted to mention it. It was enough, surely, to simply lie here together, enjoying the night and each other.

“Me too,” said Lyse, pressing a kiss to Veronyka’s forehead. “I love you.”

“And I love you,” said Veronyka. “Foibles and all.” Lyse smiled, eyes welling with tears, and pulled Veronyka closer to her. It was said that love was blind, and perhaps it was. And Lyse was glad for that.


	19. Argy-bargy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronyka bumps into an old friend in Kugane.

Kugane was a world away from the one that Veronyka had always known, and not just literally. It was just so… well put-together. The opulence in certain parts of it reminded her of Ul’dah in some ways, though without the knowledge that money fueled everything. It was rather a nice place, really. Well, if you ignored the underbelly which Veronyka had had the ‘pleasure’ of meeting.

Right now, though, that was far from her mind as she leaned on the railing of the bridge that connected the Shiokaze Hostelry to the part of Kugane on the other side of the water. She’d heard from many sources that this was quite peaceful, and they were right- the stars reflected on the water’s surface so nicely, only the soft sound of waves and chatter from the nearby markets and hostelry reaching her ears. She could get used to this, she thought.

“Fancy seein’ you here!” Veronyka spun around at the sound of a familiar voice, her face splitting into a grin as she beheld the crimson-haired miqo’te whom she hadn’t seen for ages.

“I could say the same for you, V’kebbe!” said Veronyka, stepping forward to embrace her childhood friend. “What brings you here?”

“Jacke’s got business here with Oboro, so naturally, I tagged along to help,” said V’kebbe. “Well, he says it’s business, I say it’s a date, we had a bit of an argy bargy over it. I keep tellin’ him, it’s not a crime to admit you’ve got feelin’s fer a bloke.”

“Good for him,” said Veronyka, smiling. “I’m here on some… adventuring business, I guess you could say.” It was probably best not to tell V’kebbe that she and Lyse were hoping to put together an army to help fight for Ala Mhigo.

“Adventuring business that turned into a romantic getaway,” said Lyse, sliding into place beside Veronyka. She gripped two glasses of sake, perhaps a little too tightly. V’kebbe noticed, amusement glimmering in her violet eyes.

“Well, well,” said V’kebbe, raising an eyebrow. “The cat finally got the canary after all. And here I was thinkin’ it’d be me.” Her lips curled into a smile as she laughed, though Veronyka only took her glass of sake from Lyse before twining her fingers with her girlfriend’s.

“Maybe in another life,” said Veronyka. “Nobody’s nabbed the alley cat yet?”

“Can’t tame a stray,” said V’kebbe with a wink. “Seriously, though, I’m happy fer ye. Always knew ye’d end up with a princess.”

“Oh, I’m not-“ Lyse began to protest, but Veronyka cut her off with a quick kiss.

“Shh, yes you are,” said Veronyka. “You’re a princess who can also fight. The best of both worlds.”

“And abs for days,” said V’kebbe with a low whistle. “Say, Nyka, ye wouldn’t be up fer… sharin’, would ye?”

“In your dreams, alley cat,” said Veronyka with a laugh, though it wasn’t malicious.

“Can’t blame a girl fer tryin’,” said V’kebbe, holding her hands up in a placating gesture. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. I have two other lovebirds to tease.” And, with a laugh, she melted into the shadows. Veronyka noticed when Lyse relaxed.

“Are you jealous of V’kebbe?” Veronyka asked with a laugh, sipping at her sake. Lyse leaned against the railing beside her girlfriend.

“Well, you told me that she was your first crush,” said Lyse. “I just thought, I guess…”

“What, that I’d jump ship?” Veronyka asked, still remaining by Lyse’s side. “Not after everything we’ve been through, you know that.”

“I’m actually kind of glad that I’m jealous, to be honest,” said Lyse. “Before, I was just sad that I could never have you. And I guess, now… it’s still so hard to believe, you know?” Veronyka looked at her steadily, blinking at her slowly.

“I do know,” said Veronyka. “And you’d fight anyone who stood in your way. But you don’t need to fight anyone who even looks at me.”

“Says the woman who almost zapped that guy who got a bit too close on the ship,” said Lyse. Veronyka laughed.

“Okay, fine, so we both have jealousy issues,” said Veronyka. “V’kebbe’s my friend, though. And yes, she might tease, but that’s just the way she is. She doesn’t mean any of it. It’d be like if M’naago flirted with you.”

“I guess,” said Lyse with a sigh. She sipped at her sake. “And I suppose it can’t hurt to have a drinking buddy.”

“That’s the spirit,” said Veronyka, smiling at her. “I might ask her to tone it down, though. Just for you.”

“Just so long as it doesn’t make it worse,” said Lyse.

“Oh, it will,” said Veronyka with a laugh. “I know V’kebbe.”

“Great,” said Lyse, sipping at her sake. “Just bloody brilliant.” Veronyka giggled, leaning against her girlfriend. She’d never expected Lyse to be the jealous type but… it wasn’t entirely a bad look on her.


	20. Shuffle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronyka picks up a new class.

In all of the fairytales that he’d ever read (and there had been many), homecomings were often filled with miracles, with the tying off of all loose ends. Yet still, Urianger was surprised to find how much warmer Veronyka was towards him now, even after returning home. Even after everything. All of the lies, the heartbreak, all that he’d done… yet, if Jack could forgive him, why not his adopted daughter?

He was surprised enough, certainly, when Veronyka showed up at the front door of the house that he shared with Jack.

“Veronyka,” said Urianger. “Thine father is currently out on an errand, though I shall certainly inform him that you hath called.”

“Oh, I’m not looking for him,” said Veronyka. “I was actually looking for you.”

“Thou wishest to speak with… me?” Urianger asked, fingers gripping the doorframe as all kinds of thoughts ran through his mind, his worst imaginings, his greatest fears.

“Well, of course,” said Veronyka. “Alphie’s the only other healer of the Scions but I really don’t do well with book learning, and I didn’t want to bother Anjelain now that he’s finally resting again after helping take care of you guys, so I wondered… would you teach me how to heal like you do? Dad says you heal with the power of the stars.”

“I… aye, it can well be said that an astrologian doth heal with the power of the very stars themselves,” said Urianger. “Pray tell, what has sparked such an interest in this?”

“I’ve actually been thinking about learning how to heal ever since that attack on the Reach,” said Veronyka. “Only I obviously couldn’t ask you then, considering I was still mad at you then. And a little busy falling in love, I’m not too proud to admit that.”

“Twould seem that fate hath seen fit to guide you in the direction of the stars, then,” said Urianger. “And I would gladly be thy teacher for this art. Pray come inside.” Veronyka grinned, stepping inside of the house that she was certainly no stranger to. Though she didn’t come here often, always busy with one thing or another, she tried to pay her father a visit whenever possible.

“I actually told Thancred about this too,” said Veronyka as she followed Urianger into the living room. “Seeing as how he wants me to keep an eye on Ryne, and if she wants to train as a gunbreaker, she’s going to need a healer.”

“A wise decision,” said Urianger.

“Thancred said that,” said Veronyka. “And then he said that I’d better not mix these cards up with my Triple Triad cards.”

“That would be unfortunate, indeed,” said Urianger with a chuckle. “Though, much like the game of Triple Triad, astromancy is largely dependent on the cards that one draws. And there is a trio involved, of sorts, once you learneth that power.”

“How can cards heal, though?” Veronyka asked as she took a seat at the dining room table. Urianger sat opposite her, picking up his astrologian’s deck.

“Tis not the cards themselves that do the healing,” said Urianger. “The cards serve to strengthen thy allies, though only if used correctly.”

“How so?” Veronyka asked, watching as Urianger laid the cards out flat on the table.

“Certain constellations lend their power to certain cards, when ‘played’ to certain fighters,” said Urianger. “The spire, for example, lends power to a ranged party member. Such as yourself, and your father.”

“Right,” said Veronyka, picking up the card marked as ‘the Spire’.

“The Arrow lends power to melee fighters,” said Urianger, handing this card to her as well. Veronyka stared at the illustration, trying to memorise it. “Some of these are, perhaps, fairly straightforward, such as the Spear.”

“Melee,” Veronyka guessed, noting that it had a similar colour to the Arrow card. Urianger nodded.

“Precisely,” said Urianger. “For ranged, there are also the Bole and the Ewer.” He handed Veronyka one card with a tree on it, while the other card held an image of a vase.

“And what’s that last card?” Veronyka asked.

“Tis the Balance,” said Urianger, giving Veronyka the final card for a full deck, so to speak. “However, when one calls upon the cards, the cards may not give one that which one desireth.”

“What do you mean?” Veronyka asked. “So the deck gets shuffled?” She gazed at her cards once more before folding it up and shuffling it in the way that she often shuffled her Triple Triad cards before a match with someone.

“Thou art correct,” said Urianger, a smile on his lips. “Again. Thou hast come far from the young one that thy father found so very long ago.”

“Hey, I wasn’t that young,” said Veronyka, pouting at him. She glanced at her cards again, stilling her hands.

“All seem young to those of a certain age,” said Urianger. “Thy spirit is young, even after everything.”

“Glad to hear it,” said Veronyka, giving him a genuine smile this time. Though her fur and hair may have been lightened in places before its time thanks to Urianger’s failings (or so he thought), she still ever remained youthful.

“Now, I beg of thee to draw forth a card and tell me to whom thou wouldst deliver its power,” said Urianger. Veronyka drew the Balance, frowning at it.

“Melee,” she said after some moments, examining the colour. Urianger nodded, a smile of pride spreading across his face as warmth blossomed in his chest.

“Well done,” said Urianger. One by one, Veronyka continued drawing cards and guessing their purpose. Though she failed a few times, she didn’t seem deterred. A very welcome sign, indeed.

“Will you teach me how to heal now?” Veronyka asked as Urianger took his cards back, placing them neatly inside their sleeve. He stilled, looking at her.

“Didst thou not learn sufficiently this session?” Urianger asked.

“Oh, no, I did, that’s fine,” said Veronyka. “I just thought that you’d teach me healing first.”

“Perhaps I may have been a little hasty in mine teachings,” said Urianger, his cheeks flushing. “Mine apologies, Veronyka.”

“It’s okay,” said Veronyka. “One thing at a time, right?”

“Aye,” said Urianger, nodding. “Mine thinking was that learning the cards would prove most difficult, and therefore should be taught first.”

“Well, it’s certainly better than being sent out to slay several beasts,” said Veronyka. Urianger chuckled.

“Mine own assumption is that some guilds use initiates to clean up pest problems,” said Urianger. Veronyka laughed with him, recalling the hunting logs that she’d filled out as part of her training.

“You might just be right, there,” said Veronyka. “But thank you for agreeing to teach me.”

“Shall we maketh this a weekly event?” Urianger asked.

“I think that sounds like a good plan,” said Veronyka, nodding. “I’m busy with the Resistance, and I’m sure you’re quite busy with… catching up.”

“In all manner of ways,” said Urianger. “I shall procure for thee thine own sleeve of cards when next we meet, as well as thine own planisphere.”

“I look forward to it,” said Veronyka, smiling warmly at him. Yet she did not move. “But first… may I have some tea?” Urianger brightened immediately.

“It would be mine honour,” said Urianger. How things had changed since that time long ago, how he himself had changed. And for the better, certainly.


	21. Beam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronyka visits a dhampir settlement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in my vampire AU

When she had been mortal, Veronyka had thought that time would stop for an immortal. That it would cease to have all meaning, that immortals would be trapped in their bubbles as time passed around them. But that was untrue. The first hundred years of Veronyka’s new, immortal life had seemed to stretch on forever. But now, that same amount of time seemed to have passed far too quickly. And now, trapped in her grief, time truly did stand still.

How long had Veronyka been out here before she’d been captured by a vampire hunter and brought to her senses? Mercifully, it had been a hunter known to her, the one romantically entangled with his own half-vampire.

“What were you thinking?” Estinien had snapped at her after she’d awakened in the little cottage, surprised to find herself in a bed. Surprised to find herself not freezing. “Throwing your own life away won’t bring her back, and hunting humans certainly won’t help anything or anyone but those you want to avoid.”

“They deserve it after what they did,” Veronyka had snapped back at him, fangs extended. Estinien had merely rolled his eyes, arms still folded over his chest.

“The only small mercy is that you chose to hunt further afield,” Estinien had said. “Rather than leaving a trail of blood right to your doorstep.”

“Estinien!” Aymeric had snapped, stepping into the room, his gaze pinning his boyfriend. “That is quite enough. Veronyka, how fare you?”

“Sore,” Veronyka had finally settled on. She’d had a raging thirst, enough that her skin had burned, but the worst part of being without blood was definitely the way that the body felt any pains. She hadn’t felt physical pain for a long time up until that point, sating her appetite on the humans that she hunted down, anything to quell the grief.

“Estinien fared little better,” Aymeric had said, a smile on his lips. “He has only just recovered from the thorough thrashing that you gave him.” Estinien had grunted, looking away from them, though Veronyka hadn’t been able to muster a smile. Feeling hunger again meant that she felt other things again, too.

For several days, Veronyka had remained in the care of Estinien and Aymeric, recovering from her killing spree motivated by the death of her lover. And, of course, being held prisoner so that she would not do that again. She could never forget that, especially not when Estinien had stood guard by her door. No matter how much she’d screamed and cried and threatened to wound him, he had not allowed her to go outside of her tiny room in Aymeric’s private hideout.

That had been a few weeks ago. A few weeks since time had stopped moving again. It felt strange to stand in the sunlight, and not simply because any non-Thanalan vampire would have burnt to a crisp by now. Veronyka closed her eyes, soaking in the warmth of the sun’s rays, listening to the sounds of the village of dhampirs bustling around her. This place was called Idyllshire, she’d learned. A place that acted as a safe haven for dhampirs. Inspired by Minfilia’s coven in Mor Dhona.

At first, Veronyka had protested when Aymeric had brought her here, as he’d known that she would. But the longer she stood here, looking at what Minfilia had inspired, the more she felt… okay with it. And, gradually, Veronyka forced herself to take one step. And then, when the world did not crumble under her, another.

It truly was a haven here. Many of the buildings looked as though they’d been ruined once, but they had been transformed into something new. It looked just like any human settlement, especially with the watchtowers along the walls. Guilt swam just beneath the surface as Veronyka remembered attacking those watchtowers in other villages, but… that was behind her now. Minfilia would be so disappointed in her, as Estinien had said so many times. He’d been a jerk to say it, but… he was right.

Slowly, Veronyka made her way through the town, trying to push aside her grief and instead see the beauty in this place. For it truly was beautiful, in its own way. The decorations, everything so peaceful, everything so right.

She found herself inside of a building, one that was swarming with… children. Ones far younger even than Ryne, the child whom she and Minfilia had adopted almost a century ago. The child who would not age. Yet some of these children would age, Veronyka could see it by the flush in their cheeks.

And then something stopped Veronyka, a very small something- or rather, someone- who tugged on Veronyka’s skirts and beamed up at her.

“Excuse me, are you Miss Veronyka?” the child asked, grinning up at her with tiny fangs. For a second, Veronyka’s heart squeezed at the thought that this child would forever be this young, turned before her time. But then, seeing the smile on the child’s face, she knelt down, drawing a smile from somewhere deep within. Some distant memory of Ryne, perhaps. Gods, where was she now?

“Yes, I am,” said Veronyka. The child gasped, drawing her balled fists to her mouth in amazement.

“Really?” the child squealed. “That’s amazing! I’ve been sooo looking forward to meeting you for so long!”

“Really?” Veronyka asked, her ears pinned back from the noise. The child nodded, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“I’m Khloe!” she announced. “My sister Zhloe helped make this place, along with the gobbies. Zhloe! Veronyka’s here!”

“Oh, is she?” another voice called, and just like that, Veronyka had two excitable miqo’te vampires in front of her. Mercifully, one was much older, perhaps a little younger than Veronyka had been when she’d been turned.

“Hello,” said Veronyka, somehow mustering that same smile from before. It seemed to come a little easier this time.

“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it’s really you!” said Zhloe. “I’ve told the other orphans so much about you, and I always hoped that Minfilia would visit us and-“

The mention of her name seemed to suck all sound, all light, all brightness from the room. The grief that had lurked just beneath the surface surged up, attempting to drag Veronyka back under. But she closed her eyes. She would not let it. No matter how much her grief told her to lash out, to destroy… how she could destroy something made in Minfilia’s honour?

“Miss Veronyka?” Khloe prompted, bringing Veronyka back to the present.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” said Zhloe, her hands covering her mouth. “Stupid Zhloe, why would you mention her?”

“Are you okay, Miss Veronyka?” Khloe asked as Veronyka brushed away the bloodied tears that had spilled forth. Zhloe’s own eyes swam with tears as she looked at Veronyka, ears pinned back with shame, apologies still spilling from her lips.

“I think it might be time to return to my coven,” Veronyka said at last, voice still thick with tears. “And perhaps, when I return… perhaps then, I can tell you stories about Minfilia. You can even meet Ryne, I’m sure you’d love her.” Khloe grinned, even Zhloe relaxing now that Veronyka had spoken. “She would love this place, though. I know she would. Because I do.” And, slowly, feeling as though she may crumble at any moment, Veronyka stood and left the room. She needed to speak with Aymeric, to arrange an escort through Coerthan lands. It was time to go home.


	22. Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronyka makes time to visit with an old friend, and revisits an old memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to canon story now

After returning home from the First, one would be excused for believing that every member of Solar, everyone who had gone to the First, would choose to spend every moment with their loved ones back on the Source upon their return. That knowing what could have happened would instil in them a need to be by their loved ones’ sides at all times. And, for the first few weeks at least, Veronyka had done just that, settling back into the routine at Ala Mhigo, helping the Resistance with whichever they required.

But now, the old wanderlust had set in again, bringing Veronyka to the other side of the realm, through frozen wastes, past dead dragons frozen in time, and finally, through a wood and more wastes, though warmer this time, and into the settlement known as Idyllshire. For a few moments, she simply stood there in the middle of the aetheryte plaza, gazing around at familiar surroundings that had once preceded heartbreak. And still, whenever she glanced at the exit to Backbridge and Frontbridge, the memory of that heartbreak, of what was found at the bottom of the Antitower, was ever closeby.

But then, there was the house that Hildebrand had lived in with his automaton son Gigi, for a short time following the conclusion of the Dragonsong War. The art was still there, too, bringing a faint smile to her face. Perhaps the adventures of the gentleman of light had done more good than he’d ever anticipated, just not in the way that he’d imagined. Not in the way that any of them had imagined.

It was not here, though, or the markets that Veronyka headed to, but the House of Splendors. Well, almost. For she stopped just outside of it, enjoying the warmth still radiating from the white stones that made up the building. The sun had sunk behind the mountains some time ago, stars beginning to slowly pierce the veil of night.

Khloe had not changed much at all since Veronyka had seen her last. Still very tiny, still very sweet, still leaping at Veronyka with sticky fingers to hug her tightly when she turned around from rummaging through a box of random things to greet her latest storyteller.

“Miss Veronyka, you’re back!” Khloe squealed, stepping back from Veronyka and wiping her sticky palms on already-sticky clothing. And Veronyka couldn’t help but grin at her.

“I couldn’t stay away for too long,” said Veronyka. “Who else would tell you stories?”

“Exactly!” said Khloe. “Well, Khloe gets a lot of stories from a lot of adventurers, but Veronyka’s are the bestest.” Veronyka was pretty sure that Khloe said that to all of her storytellers, but she still smiled and laughed at the child anyway.

“And do I have a story for you,” said Veronyka.

“Oh, we should sit on the roof!” said Khloe. “It’s soo nice and warm up there, Zhloe says that it’s summer and that that means her pineapple pudding doesn’t last long enough anymore.”

“I should get her some more of that while I’m here,” Veronyka mused as she followed Khloe up to the roof, the little miqo’te chattering the whole way.

“Oh, is that a new dress, Miss Veronyka?” Khloe asked. Veronyka nodded, smiling. “And your hair! Did something happen?”

“A lot happened,” said Veronyka, already trying to figure out what she could leave in and what would be better left unsaid. “But let’s find a nice place to sit first.”

Despite her many visits to Idyllshire, Veronyka had not yet been to the roof of the House of Splendors. There were a few little tables set up here, with umbrella shades over them not unlike some that she’d seen in the coastal towns of La Noscea. Khloe took a seat not at one of these tables, though, but at a little desk of sorts that she’d set up composed of several crates and a slab of wood sitting atop them.

“Khloe likes to conduct business on the roof after dark,” said Khloe. “It’s so nice and warm, and the stars look so pretty. Sometimes, Khloe likes to wish on them. Do you ever wish on the stars, Miss Veronyka?”

“Not since I was your age or younger,” said Veronyka, sitting down on the other side of Khloe’s makeshift desk and smiling at her. “Shooting stars have a bit of a different meaning to those who lived through the Calamity.”

“Oh, you mean that night when all the stars fell? Khloe was too small to remember that,” said Khloe. “But not many people here talk about that, it’s all about the dragons and the war.”

“I suppose it didn’t really reach this far,” said Veronyka. “And I suppose that you wouldn’t have noticed the change in the weather here, either.”

“Nope,” said Khloe, shaking her head so that her ears flopped. “Zhloe says that the rest of Coerthas froze over in an eternal winter, but Khloe has never seen snow.”

“Maybe I’ll take you to see it someday instead of just telling you about it,” said Veronyka. Khloe’s face lit up like the sky during Moonfire, her broad smile showing her tiny Keeper fangs.

“Khloe would love that!” Khloe squealed. “Oh, but now Khloe doesn’t know whether she should ask you about where you’ve been or the Calamity.”

“The Calamity is a shorter story,” said Veronyka. “Buut do I get a better prize if I tell you about the longer one?” Khloe hummed thoughtfully, her face scrunched up in concentration.

“Khloe wants to hear about both of them,” said Khloe. “But… Zhloe says that you have a very important job to do now.”

“Do I get an even better prize if I tell you about that too?” Veronyka asked. Khloe nodded fervently.

“Okay, tell Khloe abooooout… the night the sky fell,” said Khloe.

“I dunno, that might be a bit too scary so close to bed,” Veronyka hedged.

“Please?” Khloe begged, using those big blue eyes with deadly consequences. Veronyka sighed and shook her head playfully.

“Okay, I’ll tell you,” said Veronyka. Khloe crossed her legs beneath her, clearly getting comfortable, while Veronyka thought back to that night so long ago. “A very long time ago, before you were even born, the Garleans- those are the bad guys- tried to destroy Eorzea by bringing a moon down on it. And they almost succeeded, if it hadn’t been for the Grand Companies and the brave heroes fighting with them. But that’s the story everyone hears, and now you’ve heard it too. But there are other parts that often get missed.”

“Like what?” Khloe asked, leaning towards her.

“Well, everyone focuses on the fighting and the outcome,” said Veronyka. “Nobody really cares about what the normal people did, the ones who were too young or just unwilling to fight. But I know, because I was too young and very annoyed about that.”

The scene played in her mind’s eye as she spoke, not unlike an Echo vision, only without the headache and the way that it transported her fully away from the present.

The people living around the three great city states had been hearing talk of the Garleans planning something bad for many moons before something seemed to happen at last. And that something was a red spot appearing in the sky, growing larger each day.

“What’s that?” Veronyka had asked her sister one evening, spying the looming red spot. It had been larger even than the moon by then. And Louisa had frozen, the fur on her tail standing on end.

“The end of days,” Louisa had whispered, and whisked her back inside. They’d left Camp Bearded Rock the next day, headed towards Limsa Lominsa, where safety was promised. The fear was palpable, not even Veronyka was immune to it. She hadn’t shared the same bed as her sister since she was young, but during that time, she slept in the same bed as her sister every night. Though even sleeping became difficult, when the red haze bled over everything. Veronyka had never seen her sister so afraid, so uncertain. There was an air of fear over everything, even in the middle of a bustling market, where voices became hushed.

Everyone seemed to know when the moon was about to fall. Out on the fields of battle, those who fought tried to stave off the fall. But in the city states, all the people could do was pray. Even as the skies opened up, stars falling upon the earth, changing the landscape of the realm forever. Only the city states were protected, the most powerful mages of each guild creating walls of magic that nothing could pass through without great difficulty.

And, in more than a few of those sheltering in the city states or on the fields of battle, including in Veronyka herself, a voice was heard.

“Hear… feel… think…”

“And then what happened?” Khloe asked now, her voice awed, eyes huge, hands drawn up to her chin in wonder.

“We rebuilt,” said Veronyka. “My sister and I moved to Summerford Farms, which was a better place to raise a child anyway, and I forgot all about that weird voice I heard. Well, until I ended up in Ul’dah, anyway. But that’s another story for another day.”

“Khloe can’t even imagine how scary that night must have been,” said Khloe. “But it was an excellent story. Thank you for telling me!”

“Do I get a reward for that?” Veronyka asked, smiling fondly at the child. Khloe hummed thoughtfully again. And then, before Veronyka could so much as move, she found a pair of tiny arms wrapped around her middle.

“You get a hug because that was very scary,” said Khloe. “But you have to come and visit more, okay? Nobody tells stories quite like you!”

“I will,” said Veronyka with a smile and a laugh. She stroked Khloe’s hair. “I have so much to tell you.” Just as soon as she figured out how to tell it to a child.


	23. When Pigs Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the battle with Titania, Veronyka sits and speaks with a new friend.

After the battle with Titania, it was decided (mostly by Jack, admittedly) that the group of Solar should take a break in Il Mheg for some time. Now that the Light had gone away, it was rather nice here. True, the fog could often be as thick as the wool of a particularly fluffy karakul, but even that was okay. At least most of the fauna looked nice, and the flora was certainly beautiful. Though everything did look rather… different.

“Veronyka?” At the sound of her name, Veronyka turned to face the young hyur (hume, she silently corrected herself) girl who walked across the grass towards her.

“Hi, Minfilia,” said Veronyka, giving the girl a tentative smile. Theirs was a fragile friendship, only recently having broken the ice before the fight with Titania.

“Can I sit with you?” Minfilia asked. “I’m glad that Urianger is happy again now, really, I am, but… all of his books are in his house, and I’m currently not allowed in there.” Veronyka couldn’t help but laugh, even as Minfilia huffed.

“Of course,” said Veronyka. “I’m not doing anything anyway. Just… enjoying the day.”

“It certainly is much nicer here with the sunlight,” said Minfilia, taking a seat beside Veronyka on the flowery grass. “The eternal Light on the water was… painful.”

“It was,” Veronyka agreed. “But now, you can see the rainbows reflected in it. It’s really pretty. All of Il Mheg is really pretty.”

“Is there a place like this where you come from?” Minfilia asked. “Urianger sometimes talks about your world. I ask Thancred, but he’s hesitant, and Y’shtola… isn’t really one for noticing pretty things.”

“Well,” said Veronyka after some consideration. “There certainly aren’t any places in Eorzea where pigs fly, that’s for certain. We do have flying horses, though.”

“I know,” said Minfilia, smiling at the thought. “Zelda introduced me to Artelan. He’s grumpy, but he can’t resist food.”

“That’s our Artelan,” said Veronyka with a smile of her own. “Nowhere in Eorzea is quite like Il Mheg when it comes to looks. Kholusia looks like La Noscea, even Eulmore… kind of looks like Limsa Lominsa if the Ul’dahns decorated it, Ahm Areng looks like Thanalan and some parts of Ala Mhigo, and Lakeland almost looks like Mor Dhona but not… wrecked. I’ve heard that Rak’tika is a pretty big forest, so maybe it’s like Gridania. Though, I suppose… there are some parts of my home that look like Il Mheg. There are a few parts of Gyr Abania where flowers have bloomed. And you should see the Royal Menagerie at the top of the palace of Ala Mhigo, it’s… the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.”

“More beautiful than this?” Minfilia asked. Veronyka nodded, looking her in the eyes. “Wow. I didn’t know that anywhere could be more beautiful than a place full of flowers and rainbows. Even the bears have flowers on them!”

“Well, they do say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” said Veronyka. “And there is definitely some kind of beauty in a place that you call home.”

“I wish I knew what that felt like,” said Minfilia, turning her blue gaze back to the lake that they sat on the shore of. “To have a home. I can barely remember mine.” Veronyka’s heart ached for the girl, and she reached out to stroke Minfilia’s hair.

“You’ll find a home someday,” said Veronyka. “When all this is over.”

“I suppose that I have a home with Thancred and Urianger,” said Minfilia. “But… they’re going home too. And then where will I go?” She looked at Veronyka, tears streaking down her cheeks. And Veronyka felt, not for the first time, how strange it was that this tiny clone of her first love was finding such comfort in her.

“We’ll figure it out when we get there,” said Veronyka. “I know that plans and dreams are important, but… someone very important to me once told me that half the joy in life is just seeing where it goes. And sometimes things might turn out very differently to how you expected, but… that’s okay. You just have to hope for the best, and trust in those close to you to find the way.”

“That was a very wise person who said that,” said Minfilia. Veronyka smiled.

“I’ll tell her you said that,” said Veronyka. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear it.” Even if it would be rather strange to explain to Lyse that she’d given her advice to a tiny child who harboured the gifts of the Oracle. But stranger things had happened. Like flying pigs.


	24. Irenic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyse's peace talks go horribly awry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some artistic license taken but I absolutely loved this part of the Stormblood afterstory.

A small part of Veronyka still felt guilty for leaving most of Solar in Doma while she handled things back with the Resistance. But, honestly, Ala Mhigo needed to rebuild just as much as Doma did, and her friends seemed to have everything under control over there. They would be fine there, she knew, and she was needed here. They would call her if they needed her. Ronja didn’t seem to feel guilty, so Veronyka shouldn’t either. Both Ronja and Lyse had told her this. Yet still…

It was a strange kind of mercy that Lyse’s own anxiety drew Veronyka out of her guilt-ridden thoughts, especially when she came into the planning tent looking… worried. Though they had the whole palace in which to conduct business now, Lyse figured that conducting business out in the open made them seem more approachable. It seemed to work, too, and Veronyka definitely wasn’t complaining about having many sunbeams to nap in if the need arose. Not that she did that much anymore.

“What’s up?” Veronyka asked, rising to her feet where she’d been reclining in a sunbeam (it relaxed her somehow).

“Oh, you know, just huge decisions, the usual,” said Lyse, taking her spot behind the table and rolling out a map of the territory. 

“What huge decisions this time?” Veronyka asked, standing at her side and peering down at the map.

“I want to bring peace to Gyr Abania,” said Lyse. “I mean, I know there’s technically peace now that the Garleans are gone, but… there are still the Qalyana, and the Qiqirn… I don’t want Gyr Abania to be like the other city states. Especially when it comes to the beast tribes.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” said Veronyka. “How are you thinking of doing that?”

“By holding a meeting,” said Lyse. “With representatives from every part of Gyr Abania. The refugees, the Ananta, the M tribe, the Qiqirn… even the Qalyana.”

“The Qalyana,” Veronyka repeated. “Are you sure about that?”

“Well, you’ve spoken to many members of Eorzea’s various beast tribes, you tell me,” said Lyse. Veronyka thought about it, calling to mind the time that she’d spent with the beast tribes. She’d even spent a little time with the namazu over in the East, though admittedly, that had mostly been preventing them from being eaten.

“Tempered ones are always tricky,” said Veronyka. “Though I guess, nobody has ever tried talking to them before.”

“I’m sure there’s a way to help them, there must be,” said Lyse. “Surely, they must want something, and the Garleans were the biggest problem but they’re gone now.”

“You can be quite convincing,” said Veronyka. “And leaving them out certainly wouldn’t warm them to you.”

“Exactly,” said Lyse, nodding. “Doesn’t make it any less bloody terrifying, though.” Veronyka laughed.

“I know what you mean,” said Veronyka. “But if we’re careful enough and keep any crystals out of the area, it should go okay.”

“That’s what I’m thinking,” said Lyse. “I don’t know if they’ll even come, but… we can’t say that we didn’t offer.”

“When were you thinking of heading out and inviting them?” Veronyka asked.

“Now,” said Lyse. “Before I chicken out.”

“You should probably tell Raubahn and the other Resistance leaders first,” said Veronyka. “Just as a warning.”

“I just don’t want them to talk me out of it,” said Lyse.

“That is a very real possibility,” Veronyka acknowledged. “But I think they all know that you’re stubborn enough to do it anyway if they try to advise you against it.”

“I hope so,” said Lyse. “I’m glad I have you with me to back me up, though. Having you here gives me so much courage.” Veronyka linked her fingers with Lyse’s and leaned in to press a soft kiss to her cheek, filled with warmth for the love that she’d found here.

Somehow, between the two of them, Lyse and Veronyka managed to convince not only the Resistance leaders but also the leaders of all of the settlements in Gyr Abania to come to Lyse’s peace talk. Now, all that remained was to organise security, which was easy enough with several Scions helping out and Solar only a linkpearl call away.

The day of the irenic talks arrived at last, and Veronyka found her girlfriend nervously pacing the hallway.

“Hey, don’t get cold feet now,” said Veronyka, twining her fingers with Lyse’s, holding her still. “There are a lot of people coming.”

“I know,” said Lyse, sounding annoyed. “That’s what I’m so worried about. There’s just so much that could go wrong…”

“Progress is never easy,” said Veronyka. “But if you pull this off, you’re showing everyone that you can be a great leader.”

“And if I don’t?” Lyse asked, her eyes misty with tears as she looked at Veronyka.

“Then at least you had the guts to try,” said Veronyka, squeezing her hands. Lyse gave her a small smile before pulling her in for a hug. She released a shaky sigh.

“I wonder if this is how Aymeric felt before his talks with the dragons,” said Lyse.

“I don’t doubt it,” said Veronyka. “Now, come on. We have a meeting to conduct.”

The throne room of Ala Mhigo had once been a place of fear, of opulence. Now, it was still opulent, but the ground was scattered with all manner of cushions, a picnic of sorts set up in the middle of the circle. It had been Lyse’s idea, the circular seating arrangement meaning that nobody sat at the head of the table and the pillows meaning that the Ananta and Qalyana would not be uncomfortable. Though some did seem surprised at the seating arrangements.

“Take a seat and let’s begin,” said Lyse, somehow looking completely unlike the nervous girl from before as she took a seat, Veronyka taking her place beside her. And, gradually, the group began to speak. Of their hopes and dreams for this new, liberated Ala Mhigo, of trade routes that they hoped to reopen now, vilekin and beasts that caused issues, possible trade. Veronyka took control of the trade negotiations, recalling the other beast tribes opening trade routes with the ‘civilised’ races and how that had gone about. The main difference being, of course, that Gyr Abania had no prejudice against the beast tribes- well, none save the Qiqirn, who were rather fierce to any who passed by and notorious bandits. Veronyka hoped, though, that regular trade with them may lessen the bandit attacks.

And it was going well. So well, almost too well. So Veronyka wasn’t all that surprised when the Qalyana delegation brought up their primal, and a blue glow began to suffuse the water.

“Damn it,” Lyse hissed as she leaped to her feet, Veronyka following suit and drawing her staff. “Everyone, out!” But the doors were already swinging closed, the Qalyana herding the other guests towards the form of Lakshmi who had appeared in the middle of the room.

Already, she was sending out vril, which Veronyka rushed to intercept, preventing her beloved Lyse from becoming tempered. It was a relief to find Arenvald at her side, absorbing the flames that would temper the others. And, soon, Ronja joined, Veronyka finding a spare moment to summon her friends forth from wherever they currently were.

Her linkpearl wasn’t working. Cursing, Veronyka turned to intercept another flame, relaying the message to Lyse. Lyse’s eyes widened, and she glanced towards a door that wasn’t currently being guarded by any Qalyana.

“I’ll be back,” said Lyse, pausing only to blow a kiss to Veronyka before she dashed to the door as if blown by the wind itself.

The fight continued, Veronyka, Arenvald and Ronja managing to hold back most of the flames and the tempered Qalyana with spells and fists and blades. Until, at last, a new face emerged, bearing a familiar tattoo and a blade. Fordola. Veronyka looked to Lyse, who nodded to her, and then took her place beside Fordola. An artificial Echo, it seemed, was good enough to hold back tempering. That was a relief. And, slowly, with Fordola’s help, the tide turned.

But, no sooner had Lakshmi fallen than the crowd turned on Fordola. She was dangerous, they said. Not fit to breathe the same air as them. Anger flickered across Fordola’s face, and she gripped the sword pommel tighter for a moment before she tossed the blade aside.

“Take me back to my cell,” Fordola muttered. Veronyka looked at her, though Fordola could not meet her gaze. It was too painful, when she still couldn’t control her Echo. Veronyka shared a look with Lyse instead, one that expressed how difficult this situation could be. It was one thing to convince the people of Gyr Abania to accept the tempered beastmen, but… another entirely to accept a former traitor. Not even saving their lives would be enough to redeem Fordola, it seemed. But it was a start, at least.


	25. Paternal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyse asks Jack a question.

To look at Jack Epocan, one would understandably surmise that he might be overly protective of those he saw as his children. And, in battle at least, this was correct, Jack striving his best to protect those he loved best. He also wasn’t a stranger to scaring away those who had ill intentions towards his children, a fact which had frightened Lyse at first. For, if he didn’t approve of her having feelings for his daughter, where would that leave her? Would he even leave her alive?

Mercifully (or perhaps not, given the situation), Lyse never had to withstand the terror that was Jack trying to keep her away from his daughter. For, thanks to the way that fate unravelled for them, Jack could view Lyse with nothing but gratitude for nurturing what little light remained within his daughter.

Yet none of that could quite manage to quieten the nerves that writhed in her belly as Lyse stood outside of Jack’s cottage home, waiting for the Hrothgar to answer the door. She would almost prefer it to be Urianger, or anyone else. But she’d come here for a reason.

Lyse had given many speeches in her time as Resistance leader, led many armies into battle. Yet still, nothing could compare to the terror of standing before the father of the girl she so adored and asking him if it was okay if she married her. She hadn’t exactly asked his permission to date her, after all, it had just… happened.

Though he had still threatened her mildly after finding out. Just gentle ribbing, mind. Yet it had still been enough to scare Lyse.

Now, the front door opened, and Lyse almost forgot what she’d been about to say in the face of Jack. His scarred muzzle split into a smile when he saw her, though.

“Evening, Lyse,” said Jack, his rumbling voice warm. “What brings you here?”

“Maybe I just wanted to talk,” said Lyse with a playful grin, though Jack didn’t buy that for a second. “Okay, fine, there is something I feel I should… ask you, I suppose.”

“Oh?” said Jack, cocking his head to one side. “Let’s go for a walk, hm?” Lyse barely resisted a quip about it being easier to hide a body that way, and even then, only because her mouth was too dry almost to swallow.

“Sounds good,” said Lyse, her voice barely a squeak. She followed Jack into the forest, her heart still attempting to beat out of her chest, trying to think of what she might say to the father of her bride.

“What’s on your mind, Lyse?” Jack asked, his voice strangely gentle coming from such a large Hrothgar. Though, perhaps that was not so strange, after all- all knew just how paternal Jack could be, despite his scary appearance and skill in battle.

“Well, you know that I love your daughter with all of my heart and soul, right?” said Lyse. Jack nodded.

“Aye,” said Jack. “And she loves you just the same, even though it scared her at first. Did you know that she came to me about it?”

“She did?” Lyse asked. Jack nodded.

“I would have sent her to Urianger, after his past grief over Moenbryda and how he fell in love again, but… I don’t think she would have liked that at the time,” said Jack.

“Good choice,” said Lyse, nodding.

“So I told her that, although it’s scary… love isn’t a bad thing. And that I believed that you would be able to make her happy. So if that’s the reason you’re so scared…” Jack trailed off a knowing smile tugging at his lips.

“How did you know?” Lyse blurted, eyes wide in shock. Jack chuckled, reaching a hand down to ruffle her hair.

“Believe me, I know when someone is about to propose,” said Jack. “So if you’re seeking my permission, you’ve had it for a long time. Not that you need it, of course, though I do appreciate the gesture nonetheless.”

“Thank you,” said Lyse, finally able to breathe again. “I- wow, I’ve been nervous about it for a long time, ever since you guys first disappeared to the First.”

“I’m actually a little surprised that you asked,” said Jack. “Forgive me for saying so, but you don’t seem the… traditional type.”

“Papalymo always used to talk about the importance of tradition,” said Lyse. “I figured that it was nice to honour his memory in this way, you know?” Jack smiled warmly at her, pulling her in for a hug.

“He’d be proud of you,” said Jack, rubbing her back. “And I know that he’s still watching you from the Lifestream.”

“That’s a nice thought,” said Lyse, brushing away a tear. “And hey, at least I’ll be gaining a great father in law.”

“That you will,” said Jack, pride washing over his features, making him seem at once his age and yet younger than it, youthful in his happiness. “I’m so glad that you were always there for her. Never forget the importance of what you did for her, Lyse.”

“I’d do it every time,” said Lyse. “She’s worth everything.”

“That’s all I need to hear,” said Jack. “Although, considering that she comes from a tribe in your region… you may yet have some people to convince.”

“That’s the part I’m dreading,” said Lyse with a deep sigh. “M’naago’s planning on a trial of arms, last I heard.”

“Good luck,” said Jack with a chuckle. “And I am greatly looking forward to when she comes home with that ring on her finger.”

“Not as much as I’m looking forward to putting it there,” said Lyse. Jack laughed.

“I don’t doubt that,” said Jack.


	26. Splinter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of battle arrives, and Veronyka has some words of encouragement for the Resistance.

If Veronyka had been asked when she had first gone adventuring if she might someday lead an army, she would have said no. But that was before. Before the bloody banquet, and the war against the dragons in Ishgard. Before she had found her home. Her true home, not simply the home of her heart but also the home of her birth. And, as Veronyka left her tent on the morning of the battle with the Garleans, she had never felt quite so ready to defend everything that she cared so deeply for.

“Today’s the day,” said Lyse, her breath misting in the cool morning air as Veronyka walked up alongside her. She gazed out across the Lochs from their spot at Porta Praetoria to the palace of Ala Mhigo, where the enemy still resided.

“The day we take what’s rightfully ours,” said Veronyka. She looked to Lyse. “Are you ready?” Lyse nodded at her, giving a smile and reaching for Veronyka’s hand to give it a squeeze and lace their fingers together.

“Born ready,” said Lyse. “You?”

“I’m ready if you are,” said Veronyka. It was quiet outside, the camp just waking up. Knowing that it would not last, Veronyka decided to savour it while she could, tipping her face to the sun, closing her eyes as a blissful smile spread across her face. Lyse couldn’t quite keep her eyes off of her girlfriend, still marvelling at how she’d managed to win this girl’s heart. She would do anything to keep it, though, and that was both a promise and a threat.

The Resistance was already well prepared when it came to fighting skill and arms, including their armour, forged by the finest in their group. What they may lack in funds and prestige, they more than made up for in their willingness to fight and die for their land. Yet it never hurt to have a little pep talk. An army may live and die on their stomachs, that was true. But fanning the flames of morale could still win wars.

At last, the army was assembled, small though it may be. Lyse stood before them, Veronyka ever at her side. Where once Veronyka had snuggled up beside Minfilia, clinging to her like glue, now, she stood beside Lyse, facing their army.

“The day has arrived,” Lyse began, her voice ringing out clearly in the chilly morning air. “The day when we take back our homeland!” A cheer rose up at her words, and Veronyka smiled even as she cheered, pride for her girlfriend, for her homeland, radiating through her. “It has not been easy getting here, but we cannot give up now, not when we are so close. Today, I want you to give it more than your all, give it everything you’ve got and more. For your loved ones, for your neighbours, for your family, for everything they’ve cost us, all the years living under their rule. No more. Let’s end this! Who’s with me?”

The cheer that rose up was almost deafening, Veronyka fighting the urge to pin her ears. But instead, she stepped forward, wearing today Ala Mhigan garments gifted to her by the artisans of this land.

“Many of you probably know me as one of the Warriors of Light,” said Veronyka. “And yes, I am that. But I am one of you, even if I didn’t know that until recently. Today, I will be fighting alongside you, helping to put down those Garlean intruders who would take our home. I have had too much taken from me, I will not lose this too. For those we have lost. For those we can yet save. For Ala Mhigo!” She raised her staff, her Justice, the gold catching the sunlight as a beacon. And a promise. Her last words rose up from the crowd as more weapons were raised, swords and staffs and lances and bows. Veronyka caught Lyse’s gaze, eyes glimmering with tears. Yet she continued speaking, fighting past the emotion that threatened to close her throat.

“Some say that to annoy someone is to be a thorn in their side,” said Veronyka. “And that is true. But to the Garleans, we must be a splinter. Painful, irritating, and just as painful and irritating to remove. Splinter their defences, their control, and all will come crumbling down. I know that we can do it.” She grinned and, raising her staff to the air once more, gave a war cry that was echoed by all in attendance.

Lyse gave the call to charge, and the battle began, all knowing where they were needed most. It would be a difficult battle, all knew, but they could do it. For what was an army to a group who could put down gods?


End file.
